What is a Wetland? Wetlands…

What is a Wetland? Wetlands are low-lying areas of land covered by water long enough to support aquatic plants and wildlife for part of their life cycle.

The above is just one definition of a wetland. Maybe we should make it clear what a wetland really is because I know I have a wetland and I can't cut my grass when it rains a lot. My neighbour does not take care of his run off water and it runs onto my property so I have a wetland. I don't think the lot should ever have been built on. It is small and his roof area basically covers the entire lot.

I would like to leave the grass uncut so the neighbour can't sit outside because of all the mosquitoes that would breed - perfect habitat for mosquitoes, probably disease too, but I would have to deal with the area by-law officer because the grass is uncut. That is the reality of things.

Here is another thought: who do the better good think they are when they want to make rules and regulations for others because they are unaffected financially? Attached is a story that was in the Ontario Farmer about a couple who are displaced people because “Natural Heritage” and the policy that surrounds it disabled their farming operation.

What happened to democracy? Who really benefits from all this media with regards to wetlands? Most could not farm without controlling water. Honestly if the Conservation Authorities did their job which I will refer to as: Flood protection, build and maintain dams, build storm ponds, ensure Municipal drains are maintained by Municipalities and kept free of debris, keep waterways clear of debris, siltation, removal of beaver dams that cause woodland damage and put property at risk, stop erosion, mapping of watersheds, wetlands and flood zones, we would not be having this discussion.

Mapping is a job and record of low lying areas susceptible to saturation but to regulate and control private property taking away use of land that provides the food and livelihood of rural Ontario is questionable and maybe above the law.

87% of Ontario is Crown Land. Wildlife habitat is alive and well there. Why don't we have Conservation Ontario do their work, studies, analysis, schemes, projects there?

We have lost wildlife habitat not because of farmers so much as because of cities. Farmers provide wildlife corridors along their treed fence rows and in their woodlots. Cities pollute our water way more than rural areas. Maybe study that.

What is Holland Marsh? Very productive agricultural land and developed on too.

There are to many book learned individuals that have not walked in the shoes of those they try to regulate. I personally think that if students where encouraged to follow their dreams more and followed paths other than furthering their education by going to college and university, there would be more businesses, industry and more people that knew what really is going on.

Some of my best conversations have been with aware truck drivers who see what is happening around them. They have a better sense of reality than some of the most educated people from universities.

We need more independent workers and fewer government regulators to be a great province.

Our education system needs a complete overhaul.

Species at risk, of course there are species at risk. Evolution is a process. Farmers are at risk too because urban people with the most vote power, professors, scientists, and others so caught up in their research don't even know what is at stake in the farming community. Do we kill the farmer for a painted turtle?

Think tanks, committees, farm organizations, are all voices that don't work because the silent majority have not spoken. The silent majority are the ones the think tanks, committees, farm organizations, etc. have lost communication with and because of that, don't know what is going on. They will harm more than help because they do not know.

Elected officials are no different. They have become a unified group that pass or don't pass and even have the gall to say “all in favour if any”.

Conservation Board Members swear allegiance to the Conservation Board – how is that representing the ratepayer?

Municipal planning employees are hiring Conservation Authorities to draft Natural Heritage Plans that affect farm properties with unreasonable set backs. Quite a conflict of interest don't you think?

There is so much wrong, Conservation has overstepped its mandate and gone a bridge too far and comments need to be studied. Who really knows best?