December 22, 2025 Huron…

December 22, 2025
Huron County is the most agriculturally productive county in Ontario, and we strive to ensure sustainable, vibrant, and profitable farms thrive in our area. The Huron County Federation of Agriculture (HCFA) proudly represents our membership of over 2000 farm families.
We have reviewed the provincial proposal “Proposed boundaries for the regional consolidation of Ontario’s conservation authorities” (ERO #025-1257). With the proposed boundaries, Huron County would be in the Proposed Huron Superior Regional Conservation Authority and the Proposed Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority. These Proposed Conservation Authorities are extremely large and too large to remain responsive and effective. The proposed boundaries do not have consistent landscapes and land use varies significantly and the proposed boundaries would not address the unique characteristics of any region. As a province we need decisions that are based on science, geography, hydrology and still consider the unique characteristics that every area has. The proposed Regional Conservation Authorities are simply too large to meet the needs of all the stakeholders.
Upon review of Conservation Authorities across the province, we understand that the desire is for consistency between the different regions. A feasibility study and cost analysis should be completed to determine if this change is necessary and if there are alternatives that would be more appropriate. If this study is undertaken, we ask that the current Conservation Authorities be considered as an option and that boundaries consistent with the current Source Water Protection Region be considered as another alternative. The Source Water Protection Regions are watershed based and show a working relationship that currently exists.
Huron County is a Rural County with no large urban areas. In Huron County, we are fortunate to have good relations with our local Conservation Authorities and feel that the existing Conservation Authorities are vital to address the unique needs of the area, to continue watershed management and to protect our communities from natural hazards. Everyone in Huron County benefits from the local delivery model that is currently in use. Our local Conservation Authorities administer various Stewardship programs that are unique to our area including winter cover crops, well decommissioning, tree planting and erosion control projects as some examples. The Huron Clean Water program is a cost share program that helps protect the surface water, groundwater and soil in Huron County. This program is funded by the County of Huron and administered by the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority and the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority. The working relationships that the current local delivery model has are vital to the continuation of many programs in the area. We need to maintain our local knowledge and capacity for stewardship projects.
Our local Conservation Authorities are examples of efficient planning and permitting. Both the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority and the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority exceed the provincial expectations for how long it takes for permits to be processed. Part of the reason for this is communication and consultation prior to permits being submitted. We sincerely hope that the current administration offices are maintained so that there continues to be a local hub where information can be shared and where staff are available. Decisions about land and resources should continue to be made in the communities that they impact.
Going forward, we need to ensure that there is local representation in the Governance of Conservation Authorities. We are concerned that the proposed Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority would involve 81 different municipalities, and the Proposed Huron Superior Regional Conservation Authority would include 80 municipalities. The Conservation Authority board composition needs to reflect the interests of all the municipalities and needs to reflect the interest of all land uses. The proposed boundaries are too large. We request that boards have proportional representation based on land use and not population.
Funding formulas for the Conservation Authorities need to ensure that funding benefits all areas and that the majority of funds do not gravitate toward areas with higher population.
The HCFA would like to emphasis the importance of Conservation Authorities to our rural areas. We would like to see smaller Conservation Authorities than outlined in the proposal and we are quite concerned about the lack of information and transparency in this proposal as many questions are not answered.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this Proposal.

Huron County Federation of Agriculture