Conservation authorities are…

Conservation authorities are an incredibly important component of local communities, providing important on the ground services that actively respond and proactively protect from environmental challenges. We rely on Conservation Authorities and their staff to help us make our environments more resilient, and to help them continue to be healthy, safe spaces that we love to be in. That being said, watersheds are important measures/scales for CAs; while it may seem arbitrary, the natural boundaries and functions of these watersheds are crucial when considering environmental regulation and protection. Without using the watershed measure, CAs are impeded in their ability to efficiently manage and fulfill their duties, including protection of drinking water and flood management.

Additionally, there should be a change in terminology from programs and services related to the "risk of natural hazards" to "protection and management of natural hazards". This wording better guides CAs, and more clearly reflects their intent and role.

It should also be noted that both restoration and monitoring of watershed health play an important role in environmental hazard management, and thus should be included in the core mandate of Conservation Authorities. These are crucial activities for not only monitoring progress and state of resiliency within our communities, but also serve as preventative measures to help our neighborhoods stay better protected and at lower risk for severe environmental hazards and conditions. To best ensure effectiveness and streamline a process for these activities, all Conservation Authorities should have a mandatory section for "conservation of natural resources"; this would include inventory and monitoring, tree planting and forest management, natural heritage systems planning, habitat restoration and creation, invasive species management, and stewardship/outreach activities.

While it may be fine for the CAs to take on the responsibility of source protection, it is unsettling that the province is therefore shifting responsibility for these fees solely onto taxpayers, rather than maintaining accountability themselves. The province should be required to set at least partial funds aside for source protection, whether or not some responsibility is shifted unto CAs. It is important to note that while this does fall under CA mandates, there are also many other components of this mandate that require funding allocation. With an increasing need for green space within local communities and decreasing yard sizes within individual homes, CAs provide an important natural space for families and individuals to engage with nature and spend valuable time outside. That being said, with increasing visitation, more funding is needed to maintain and conserve these spaces for our communities to continue to enjoy. Funding allocation is also increasingly important for hazard mitigation and management, especially as we see an increasing trend of inclement and extreme climate/weather events.