March 7, 2012

Dear Premier McGuinty,

On behalf of the Moraine Can’t Wait campaign, representing Earthroots, Save the Oak Ridges Moraine Coalition (STORM), and Ontario Nature, we thank you for accepting thousands of postcards asking your government to continue to fund and support the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation.

Individuals across the Oak Ridges Moraine and beyond share our profound concern about the ecological health of the moraine. Today, the moraine is under threat on multiple fronts. Despite legislation passed 10 years ago that was designed to protect this important landscape, building and infrastructure construction are ongoing even in core natural areas; millions of litres of water are drained daily off the moraine and runoff contaminates ground and surface water; and thousands of truckloads of fill, some of it shown to be contaminated, are dumped onto the moraine every day.

We became aware of the environmental damage on the moraine because of a series of in-depth reports produced by the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation in 2010, titled Measuring Success. This series of studies examined the ecological integrity of the moraine and gauged the effectiveness of conservation legislation. The Foundation acts as the eyes and ears of the Oak Ridges Moraine. As conservation organizations, we look to this group for the most up-to-date and comprehensive work regarding what is often called the “rain barrel” of southern Ontario.

Please consider our request, and that of more than 8,000 people, to keep the doors of the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation open. Building on the work that has been done, we can collectively strengthen protection of an irreplaceable land formation and source of drinking water for a quarter of million Ontario residents.

Sincerely,

On behalf of the Moraine Can’t Wait

Ontario Nature protects wild species and wild spaces through conservation, education and public engagement. Ontario Nature is a charitable organization representing more than 30,000 members and supporters and 140 member groups across Ontario (charitable registration # 10737 8952 RR0001). For more information, visit www.ontarionature.org.

Save the Oak Ridges Moraine Coalition (STORM) is focused on protecting the ecological integrity of the Oak Ridges Moraine. Since 1989, STORM has been working at the local and regional levels to ensure that municipalities make good planning decisions to protect its ecological and hydrological functions. For more information, visit www.stormcoalition.org.

Earthroots is a grassroots conservation organization that works aggressively to protect wilderness, wildlife and watersheds in Ontario through research, education and action. Our dedicated staff and focused campaigns have achieved effective protection of threatened ecosystems for over 20 years on behalf of our approximately 12,000 supporters in the province. We use many techniques to propel issues forward including public education, advocacy, primary and secondary research, media awareness and creative peaceful activism. For more information, visit www.earthroots.org.

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