As an employee of a…

As an employee of a conservation authority, I understand the value of all the great work we do for providing essential ecosystem services such as clean air, clean water and a multitude of benefits important to the health, well-being and safety of the people of Ontario.

In order to fulfill the mandate of the Conservation Authority Act, “0.1 The purpose of this Act is to provide for the organization and delivery of programs and services that further the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources in watersheds in Ontario", the definitions of mandatory Conservation Authority programs and services need to be better defined. I concur with Conservation Ontario's proposal to include an additional fifth mandatory program, “conservation of natural resources”, to reflect our mandate to further the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources in a watershed. This would include some of the programs and services that are now part of our core Conservation Authority work, such as:
o inventory and monitoring
o watershed/subwatershed planning
o tree planting and forest management
o natural heritage systems planning
o habitat restoration and creation
o invasive species management
o stewardship and outreach activities

These programs are critical to protecting the environment and keeping the people of Ontario safe from natural hazards that will only be exacerbated with the progression of climate change and population growth.