I live in Niagara and the…

I live in Niagara and the NPCA has a vast area to manage which they have been doing as well as possible given the political pressures placed upon them by the province. We have unique areas in the Niagara Region that require protection from the current focus on overdevelopment and destruction of our tree canopy. Our needs are uniquely different from other areas of the province. Indeed each area has unique needs. Merging conservation authorities will take away the ability to have local voices and local solutions. As the impact of climate changes globally are increasingly felt locally it is vital that we maintain local authorities to protect our vanishing woodlands, wetlands and natural ecosystems. One size does not fit all. This push to merge conservation authorities feels as if it is a response to developers wanting to fast track large projects without oversight, checks and balances. In Niagara we were surrounded by farmlands with a diversity of crops. Now we are a wasteland of suburbs with few trees and green spaces and yet a lack of affordable housing. We have sprawling low level shopping centres encroaching on water run off areas with massive parking lots polluting our the Great Lakes watershed area. Individual conservation authorities should have more local say and more local authority not less. Please consider the long term environmental future of our province and not the short term bottom line for developers.