I oppose the proposal to…

I oppose the proposal to consolidated Conservation Authorities.

The reasoning behind the consolidation stems from the belief that Conservation Authorities are not fulfilling their duties regarding permit applications. Not only is this factually incorrect (for example: the Hamilton Conservation Authority has processed 94% of their major permits on time), but it also fails to consider all the additional work Conservation Authorities do, including: floodplain mapping, operating conservation areas, protecting local ecosystems, offering outdoor educational programs, and much more.

By consolidating Conservation Authorities, you are weakening local decision making. Municipalities fund a large percentage of Conservation Authorities (the Province contributes less than 1% due to funding cuts in 90s) and therefore should have a direct say in watershed decisions. Conservation Authorities also work directly with local communities, including local stakeholders, indigenous communities, foundations, and landowners. These are the people who should be making the decisions regarding their local watershed, not some regional board filled with members from outside communities.

Additionally, I believe it is disingenuous to only request feedback to a few select questions and not the entire proposal. It appears this government does not care about public input and is using the ERO to determine the details of the consolidation itself and not whether the citizens of Ontario believe they would actually benefit from this proposal. It's clear the provincial government does not have a roadmap for how this consolidation would work, and is begging Ontarians for their help.

Lastly, I am including a link to the HCA's statement on the proposal because I agree with with their points.