I do not agree with the…

I do not agree with the direction the SVCA is going. I feel they are drifting from their original mandate. We farm in Minto and South Bruce and I will outline an example of what we have experienced. The back of our farm in South Bruce Township used to be in pasture, but had been left fallow in recent years. The fences had began to fall down and trees had grown into them. Cedar and poplar trees have began encroaching into the fallow pasture. I have an aerial photograph showing the area that used to be completely clear and pastured. I met with county forestry staff at the property and and explained I wanted to clear the trees to reestablish the pasture for our sheep flock. He advised me to submit an exempt application for tree cutting as per Tree cutting bylaw requires - which I did and and he approved the permit to clearing. The permit was approved with the one condition that one of the areas requested on the application needed Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority approval beforehand because I was told my County staff it was EP zoning. I called SVCA and was told by staff they do not regulate the trees removal and no approval was needed. Then she said that if heavy equipment was going to be used then we would need to email her a plan of what I wanted to do (with $100) and they would need to send out someone to evaluate the area. After she said that,I decided it wasn't worth the hassle and did not clear that particular area. SVCA staff saw the work we were doing in other areas and are now threatening legal action against us if we do not pay fines and replant trees and shrubs because they say it is also their regulated area - contrary to mapping given to me and my clearing permit from the County. Even the SVCA forestry coordinator said they do not regulate tree removal on private property. To clarify no drainage, or ditching or grading was done simply tree removal to re establish pasture. I have been corresponding back and forth for months trying to resolve this. I have tried reaching out to OMAFRA normal farm practice board because I think this should be protected under the Farm and Food production act but they do not touch Conservation Authority issues because its seen as environmental. The conservation authorities are overreaching their mandate and there seems to be no checks in place for other agencies to ensure they are not abusing their power.
I don't think reclaiming pre existing pasture should be a concern in terms of their mandate. In addition to putting this burden on land owners, I think the SVCA is doing themselves and the area they are trying to protect a disservice by acting as an antagonist to landowners. If they were more reasonable and cooperative and used a more common sense approach, more people could benefit from their knowledge and expertise without fear of repercussion. I get the impression they are more concerned about collecting fees and enforcing their power over people and private property. To successfully achieve conservation core mandates they have to cooperate with the other stakeholder ie landowners and farmers. When I explain the problems I am having to other farmers, they tell me my first mistake was calling the SVCA in the first place. That I should have just done it and not let on to them. I tried following the proper steps and received permit from the County and did not clear the area that I was told would need SVCA approval for. I am now being penalized. This has put a huge amount of stress on myself, our business and our family.