This proposal is wrong on so…

This proposal is wrong on so many levels. The system of Conservation Authorities in Ontario is recognized globally as the right and effective solution to local action, on a watershed basis, to local watershed challenges.

The continual attempt to centralize decision making for local issues is going in the wrong direction. Conservation Authorities were born out of severe watershed level issues; the solution developed 3/4 of a century ago is novel, creative and very cost effective. Local municipalities within each watershed fund and manage conservation issues that they understand and impact them directly.

With increasing severity of '100 year floods', massive wildfires and other environmental crises, taking the authority away from local stakeholders is illogical and will end up costing taxpayers far more than local authority to manage conservation issues, with provicial guidelines.

There may be a few small CAs where amalgamation, or sharing of staff and equipment, makes sense, but let those authorities make that decision. Forget this massive centralized take over of this critical and now well managed system.

Queens Park needs to learn how to delegate authority to local levels, offer provincial level guidelines, advice and support, and desist from trying to micromanage every local issue.

I have served on the GRCA board for many years and interacted professionally with several other authorities. There oversight of watershed conservation issues is essential if we are going to have effective communal environmental issues well managed, continued sustainable agriculture, development on appropriate sites, and protection of natural systems and the critical ecological services that they provide; these are much more cost effective than engineered solutions when natural systems and services are allowed to be destroyed.