My past career has included…

My past career has included working for a Conservation Authority (CA) and apparently there is still a huge lack of understanding of our conservation authorities expertise as well as a lack of appreciation for what they protect and take responsibility for everyday. The current government has prioritized developer requests over environmental and technical considerations with regards to Ontario's greatest assets (natural resources such as water). CAs have overseen and protected this province’s watersheds by ensuring development occurs sustainably and without adverse affects to existing forests and wetlands and the residents (wildlife) that they house, while considering impacts to humans and their livelihood. They are the authority that allows us to live with nature and not destroy it for our own benefits. This regulation will allow the Minister to undermine and weaken the CAs ability to protect surrounding residents and water quality, reduce the distance between development lands and wetlands, and eliminate the need to acquire permits before building infrastructure. These changes will inadvertently and consequently worsen the impacts of a "natural hazard" occurrence such as flooding and wildfires.
Do not remove the CAs requirement to review/issue permits for development and allow them to manage and protect hazard zones without appeal ability. Do not give the Natural Resources Minister the ability to overrule a CA decision or circumvent the entire permitting, monitoring and reporting process to permanently destroy what we have left in Ontario.