What do you see as key…

What do you see as key factors to support a successful transition and outcome of regional conservation authority consolidation?

- MEANINGFUL consultation with the 36 existing CAs. Each CA has developed unique programs geared to the communities they serve, and relationships with their local municipalities. It is critical that this local expertise remains intact and is able to continue within the new regional approach.
- I feel the proposed regional CA's are too large to act monolithically, as the needs of communities vary locally. Retention of the existing CA administration centres as 'sub-CAs' within the regional CAs would allow consistency of approach while still giving communities access to local expertise and 'boots on the ground' service.

What opportunities or benefits may come from a regional conservation authority framework?
I feel there are many benefits to establishing a regional framework, including:
- The opportunity for all CAs to benefit from access to shared technology and expertise
- The benefit of collective advertising and promotion of programs
- A more unified and consistent public face
I believe these benefits can be realized without dismantling the localized framework, just adding a layer of regional oversight.

Do you have suggestions for how governance could be structured at the regional conservation authority level, including suggestions around board size, make-up and the municipal representative appointment process?
-The strength of the current member-municipality board of directors is that members are voting on issues that impact their local communities directly. I am concerned that the new regional CAs are too large to stay relevant to the municipalities they serve.
-Determining municipal levy in the new regional CAs will be difficult for the above reasons - municipalities are more likely to want to fund things that affect their communities directly.
- A tiered approach that maintained some version of the current local boards, with delegates from local boards sitting on a regional board could work.

Do you have suggestions on how to maintain a transparent and consultative budgeting process across member municipalities within a regional conservation authority?
-As above. Maintaining a localized board, with delegates informing a regional board, to ensure regional oversight while maintaining local nuance.

How can regional conservation authorities maintain and strengthen relationships with local communities and stakeholders?
- As above. A tiered approach that maintains LOCAL management of lands, CA programs, landowner services, flood forecasting, etc. at the same or similar geographic scale to the current 36-CA structure. This local management would ensure the public are still able to access 'boots on the ground' service in a timely manner; it would ensure the expertise relating to local watersheds was maintained and those watersheds monitored closely. Local 'sub-CAs' would report to and take direction from regional CAs, to ensure consistent messaging, policies, fees and turn around times are established and maintained.

A tiered approach would make use of the existing infrastructure, programs, local relationships and workforce, while establishing oversight to ensure consistency in fees and turn around times to align with the Province's objectives.