The following identify…

The following describes several areas of concern relating to the consolidation of Conservation Authorities:

Reduced Transparency and Local Autonomy
Under the proposed model, the County and its local municipalities may have reduced representation on CA boards and diminished involvement in decision‑making. If board composition is determined primarily by population, rural municipalities risk being under‑represented despite stewarding large geographic areas and significant natural assets.

We urge the Province to consider smaller, more focused regional models that improve efficiency while preserving meaningful local representation. Governance structures must balance rural and urban priorities to ensure watershed management remains community‑driven. The needs of our agricultural sector and rural communities—central to our County’s identity and economy—must be adequately recognized and prioritized.

Reduced Certainty and Efficiency for Municipalities
Consolidation may result in municipalities working with CA staff who are more geographically distant, less familiar with local conditions, or less available to support municipal needs. Our County’s existing CA offices and staff are accessible, responsive, and deeply knowledgeable about local watershed characteristics.

We strongly recommend that the Province maintain local CA offices and retain staff with local expertise. This is essential to ensuring continuity in public safety, environmental protection, and effective service delivery.

Potential Delays in Permit Processing and Approvals
The four Conservation Authorities operating within our County consistently meet provincial timelines and provide timely, high‑quality technical review. A regionalized model of the proposed scale may create a more distant bureaucracy, reducing responsiveness and increasing delays in permitting and approvals.

To avoid unintended consequences, the Province should ensure that service timelines are maintained or improved, and that municipalities and the public continue to have access to staff with local knowledge and technical expertise.

Oversight of Reserves, Investments, and Local Assets
Conservation Ontario notes that CAs collectively own and manage approximately 150,000 hectares of natural and built assets, including forests, wetlands, areas of natural and scientific interest, recreational lands, and flood/erosion control infrastructure. These assets are integral to local communities and require stewardship that reflects local priorities and watershed conditions.

Decisions regarding these assets should remain at the watershed level, guided by the communities that use, value, and care for them.

Reduced Local Influence Over Funding and Priorities
Municipalities will continue to fund all or part of the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency (OPCA) through the existing levy/apportionment process. Under the proposed model, municipalities may contribute a significant share of the OPCA’s budget without having a meaningful role in shaping its governance, priorities, or strategic direction.

The Province must ensure that the Regional Conservation Authority Board structure provides fair representation, local accountability, and transparent decision‑making.

Importance of Local Context in Policy and Program Delivery
While our County’s four existing Conservation Authorities have some differences in policies, standards, fees, and capacities, these differences reflect real variations in geography, watershed conditions, rural versus urban landscapes, growth pressures, and local priorities.

A consolidated model must be flexible enough to recognize and respond to these differences rather than impose uniform approaches that may not be appropriate across diverse regions.

 
Stewardship Services
Our County also wishes to emphasize the critical importance of the stewardship‑related services currently delivered by our local Conservation Authorities. Municipalities rely heavily on these programs—including landowner outreach, tree planting, habitat restoration, agricultural best‑management practices, and community education—which are viewed as invaluable to both environmental health and long‑term climate resilience. These services support our rural economy, protect natural assets, and strengthen relationships with landowners who are essential partners in watershed management. It is therefore imperative that the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency (OPCA) maintain stewardship as a core mandate, with the resources and local capacity necessary to continue delivering these programs effectively across diverse watershed contexts.