I am writing as a concerned…

I am writing as a concerned citizen and tax payer about proposed changes to the Conservation Authorities Act (ERO 013-5018). Conservation Authorities should play a vital role in the protection of the natural environment in Ontario. Our watersheds are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss which are world-wide problems, but are particularly threatening in a high-population density region such as southern Ontario. We are fortunate in having abundant water and the surviving remnants of our natural ecosystems, and I urge this government to strengthen protections for these, including the role of Conservation Authorities. I have three urgent concerns about the proposed changes:
1. Development permitting. Here in the Greater Toronto Area we have daily reminders of the impacts of development upstream within our watersheds. Our parks, green spaces and Environmentally Significant Areas experience destruction with every flooding event, primarily due to uncontrolled urban sprawl upstream. I am deeply concerned that the proposed changes to the Conservation Authorities Act will make it easier for sprawl developers to impact our watersheds, not harder.
2. Knowledge base of watershed protection and conservation. I am also concerned about the cuts to Conservation Authority budgets at a time when their roles are more crucial than ever. Since the time of the original Conservation Authorities Act of 1946, knowledge and understanding of watershed protection and conservation has increased through scientific research. This is particularly true of our understanding of the importance of intact ecosystems, including natural forest cover and the animals that depend on them for habitat, for preventing storm water runoff and erosion. As an example, the Toronto Region Conservation Authority is the premier source of expert knowledge about the biodiversity occurring in our ravines and other watersheds; this knowledge base informs professional decisions about watershed management, as well as informing citizens and citizen groups that contribute voluntarily to conservation of the natural environment in our region.
3. Education programs. I am also concerned about losses to the education programs provided by the Conservation Authorities through the proposed budget cuts. The world’s current problems of climate change and biodiversity loss are largely caused by a lack of knowledge and understanding of the natural world on which we all depend, as well as a lack of will to think in the long term for future generations. Our conservation authorities provide recreational and educational programs that help connect citizens to nature and help them understand the impacts.
I urge this government to act to strengthen protections for and conservation of Ontario’s natural environment, not weaken them.