WCS Canada comments on the Summary of Initial Project Description for the Northern Road Link Project (Reference Number 84331).

We are submitting our comments on the Summary of Initial Project Description for the Northern Road Link Project (https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/84331) (Reference Number 84331).

We are submitting this feedback in our capacities as WCS Canada scientists conducting research on species and ecosystems to inform conservation decisions. WCS Canada is a national non-government organization that has been engaged in Ontario since 2004, with research and conservation priorities in Ontario largely focused on the far north region. We are some of the few scientists with continuous presence in the region. We lead ongoing field-based research programs that are currently focused on wolverine and freshwater fish; we support and collaborate with First Nations on community-based research and monitoring projects; and we support and collaborate with academic, government researchers, and First Nations conducting ecological studies in the region. WCS Canada has a long-term and consistent engagement around impact assessment at the federal and provincial level, particularly for projects in northern Ontario.

In these comments, we first provide four overarching concerns and associated recommendations on the Summary of Initial Project Description for the Northern Road Link (NRL) as a whole. Following these are some specific comments on various Sections within the Summary of Initial Project Description. See attached file for full comments.