Grand(m)others Act to Save…

Grand(m)others Act to Save the Planet (GASP) is a grassroots organization acting and advocating for climate change policy so as to create a liveable future for upcoming generations.
While GASP is supportive of consistent services and efficiencies across all Conservation Authorities it is concerned by the Ontario government’s proposal to amalgamate thirty-six conservation areas into seven and believes more consultation should occur. Listed below are GASP’s concerns:
• Many of the proposed Regional Conservation Authorities are geographically vast and contain very different and unrelated ecological and hydrological conditions. GASP fears that with amalgamation local oversight and expertise in watershed management will be lost impacting clean drinking water and increasing the risk of flooding, drought and erosion. This is particularly concerning as climate change is increasing the risks of both flooding and drought.
• The administrative cost of transitioning to seven Regional Conservation Authorities will be high. GASP recommends a cost-benefit analysis to better understand if the advantages of amalgamation support the costs.
• The creation of the new Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency (OPCA) will centralize decision-making by placing it in the hands of the province and removing it from municipal input and accountability. GASP is concerned that decision-making under the OPCA will be informed by provincial policy rather than scientific and local knowledge and expertise.
• GASP is concerned by previous decisions of this government to remove protected land from Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, Ontario Place and the greenbelt. A worrisome trend as protected land provides Ontarians long-term environmental, economic and health benefits while mitigating against the effects of climate change. GASP believes that conservation land must remain protected.