Friends of Second Marsh (FSM…

Friends of Second Marsh (FSM) is requesting that the Ontario government pause the amalgamation of the 36 conservation authorities into seven regional conservation authorities as proposed in ERO #025-1257. Please allow the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency to fulfil its objectives, as indicated in Schedule 3 - Part VIII.1 of Bill 68, and then review the need for amalgamation after the completion of its term.

We want to ensure that this proposed amalgamation is in the best interest of the work that conservation authorities are mandated to do. As well, if amalgamation is still an option for consideration, then it must be done in such a way that conservation authorities can serve their intended role as local watershed experts.

FSM recognizes that there may be some value in enhancing clarity and consistency through more standardized policies, guidelines and permitting processes in a way that empowers conservation authorities to fulfill their role with greater efficiency. As well, some smaller conservation authorities could benefit from amalgamation with larger conservation authorities. However, amalgamation of 36 conservation authorities to seven regional conservation authorities is problematic. Below, FSM has outlined some concerns with the amalgamation that need to be carefully considered by the province before any action is taken.

Conservation Authority staff have unique and local knowledge of their areas. We must ensure that the following are not compromised should the Province move forward with an amalgamation.

- continuation of partnership and committees: current conservation staff should be able to fulfill their partnership and committee responsibilities

- continuation of projects: current conservation staff should continue to be tied to their conservation areas and projects that they have worked in for many years

- permits: conservation staff that have experience in their local areas should continue to review permits for their areas

- vast area of amalgamation: local community initiatives and interests need to be protected and prevent the loss of local priorities. The new proposed boundaries are far too sprawling to enable locally relevant decision-making to take place. As well, the regional conservation authority boundaries ignore completely different ecology, hydrology and climate of the local watersheds. Careful consideration needs to be given to the unique needs of the watersheds and their distinctly different environmental conditions.

Amalgamating these conservation areas will not guarantee greater efficiency, may sacrifice local priorities for regional priorities and will be inevitably be very costly to implement.

For the reasons above, we request that the province pause the proposed amalgamation of conservation authorities and look at fulfilling the objectives of the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency as a priority. Conservation authorities should be meaningfully supported and empowered to do their jobs effectively and continue to serve their communities at a local level.