I do not support this…

I do not support this proposal. Wetlands in southern Ontario are seriously threatened and deserve the highest level of protection. To ensure that wetlands are properly protected, a rigorous evaluation system must remain in place.
In order to have a consistent approach in wetland evaluation, it is essential for the province to retain a strong role in the evaluation process. If some responsibilities for wetland evaluation are transferred to others, then it is essential for the province to have a strong role in review and approval of the work done by consultants, municipalities, etc. Most municipalities do not have the expertise to properly review such work.
To ensure that the review process is timely and effective, the province must provide sufficient funding to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to enable it to do the work that is required.
Another option would be to transfer to the responsibility for wetland evaluation to conservation authorities. Conservation authorities have expert knowledge about their respective watersheds and are well placed to evaluate wetlands and/or review wetland evaluations conducted by others. I note that there are other policy proposals in circulation at present, that would diminish the role of conservation authorities. I suggest that it would be most appropriate for the province to look at ways to strengthen role of authorities in environmental protection, and to provide funding for the conservation authorities to operate effectively.
I note that the policy proposal provides for the re-evaluation wetlands within wetland complexes. I find it troubling to see wording such as the following: “All wetland units that were previously evaluated as part of a wetland complex do not need to be re-evaluated at the same time. There is no requirement to update the wetland evaluation that applied to an entire wetland complex.” This appears to overlook the importance of considering a wetland complex in its entirety. Each wetland complex will have its own special ecological interactions, and these must be understood and respected.
In conclusion, I do not support the Proposed Updates to the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System. At the very least, this proposal must be revised to include a provincial review component for new evaluations and re-evaluations.