I am writing to express my…

I am writing to express my opposition to any weakening of existing wetland evaluation policy and procedures.

We need the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to remain involved in wetland evaluation and to lead development of wetland policy in Ontario. Approximately 80 percent of wetlands have been lost in southern Ontario and we need strong policies and scientific input to policies to protect wetlands. The proposed policy change would reduce the scientific expertise needed to evaluate development proposals. Municipalities do not have the expertise to evaluate the impacts of development on natural heritage features and the development industry has a conflict of interest in evaluating impacts on natural features. Conservation Authorities have an important role in advising on impacts of new development. We have seen here in Peterborough, as elsewhere, the effects of extreme weather on floodplains, with two 100 year flood events in the last twenty years. Historically, some housing has been built too close to rivers and lakes, with the result that there is damaging flooding during high rainfalls.

Wetlands need to be preserved under the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System, to protect our water sources and fight climate change.

There are other, more environmentally friendly solutions to the housing crisis - more urban infill, developments that are less reliant on cars, higher density dwellings, a relaxing of municipal bylaws that allow for basement and in-house apartments, and more.

In the face of unprecedented and accelerating biodiversity loss and the ever-worsening climate crisis, it is vital that your government do its utmost to protect the farmland, wetlands, forests, rivers and other natural areas that sustain us. As Ontario's Housing Affordability Task Force explained in its 2022 report, we do not need to sacrifice environmental protection to address the housing crisis. That's because "a shortage of land isn't the cause of the problem." (p.10) There is a vast supply of land already open for development within existing municipal settlement boundaries.

I urge you to 1) withdraw all policy changes that would weaken the protection of farmland and natural heritage; and 2) retain and uphold the role of the public, CAs, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and regional municipalities in wetland evaluation, environmental planning and decision-making.