The Ontario government is attempting to make logging companies permanently exempt from endangered species law, a move environmental advocates say would hasten the decline of creatures like the woodland caribou.  A similar but temporary exemption has been in place in Ontario since 2013. The province has said making it permanent would help create jobs in the forestry sector.  “It’s not unexpected, but it’s devastating nonetheless,” said Greenpeace Canada nature and food campaigner Reykia Fick. “The province of Ontario is failing to protect species at risk and to turn around the extinction crisis as it’s playing out here.” The change was introduced as part of Bill 229, a piece of legislation introduced Nov. 5 to enact measures the Progressive Conservative government outlined in its 2020 budget.  Under the temporary exemption from Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, logging companies follow a different set of rules under the Crown Forest Sustainability Act.