I am concerned with the…

I am concerned with the practicality of the proposed boundaries of the consolidated conservation authorities.
In an effort to streamline deliverables and permitting, the creation of the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency makes sense to get all 36 authorities on the same page. However, I do not believe that combining jurisdictions and creating 7 authorities out of 36 will speed up any processes or improve the programs provided by these authorities. Creating a central body of governance for the 36 authorities would be a great way to share knowledge and provide more protection to Ontario's natural resources by introducing effective programs from one authority to the rest. For example, environmental monitoring programs perfected by one authority can be shared with other authorities throughout the province; this would create jobs, further protect the environment, and safeguard communities. By expanding the jurisdictions and consolidating the 36 authorities, it will be difficult and time-consuming to roll out programs and permits in the chaos of deciding which programs/projects will be kept and which need to be modified. On top of that, consolidating employees, deciding and inhabiting new offices, inventorying and moving equipment and property, plus many other variables involved in combining authorities, will take a large amount of time. This will no doubt create confusion and delay projects and scheduled monitoring. Additionally, expanding to these proposed boundaries means greater travel distance for employees and equipment and could result in spreading services thin as much more area needs to be covered.
I hope these concerns, along with any others submitted to this proposal, are heard and valued in the decision-making process. Conservation authorities were created to protect communities and the environment and have evolved into great businesses that not only contribute to Ontario's economy but also provide much-needed jobs and education. Their work across the province should be valued and respected.