To Whom It May Concern. I am…

To Whom It May Concern.
I am very concerned about the proposal to amalgamate the 36 current Conservation Authorities into
7. I feel it will lead to loss of local input, control over local decision making and accountability.
I live in the Lake Simcoe Watershed, a huge watershed which covers many municipalities which
are facing increasing pressures of growth and development. These decisions need to be based on sound, local expertise with local accountability. Amalgamating the Lake Simcoe Regional Conservation Authority into a much larger entity does not necessarily mean greater efficiency or cost savings either.
It just slows down decisions, dilutes local concerns and voices and can end up costing taxpayers far more in the long run if poor, rushed decisions are made. Flooding, degradation of water quality, loss of soil through erosion, salt, agriculture and road run-off can have huge, serious consequences and therefore decisions have to be made carefully with accumulated local knowledge and expertise.Remediation and recovery from these problems are very expensive. I urge the government to reconsider the proposed amalgamation and leave the number of Conservation Authorities as they are, and restore their funding levels and powers. In this time of climate change, the risk of flooding is very real and increasing. We need good local input to make good decisions about land use and development.