Maintaining smaller (non…

Maintaining smaller (non-amalgamated) conservation authorities is important because each authority has deep local knowledge of their ecosystems, communities, and environmental challenges, which allows them to respond more effectively and quickly than large, centralized bodies. Smaller authorities are often more accountable to local residents, better at building community partnerships, and more flexible in tailoring conservation efforts to specific watersheds or habitats. Amalgamating them can dilute this local expertise, slow decision-making, and risk applying one-size-fits-all solutions to environmental issues that are highly place-specific.