Ministry floats potential Ontario conservation authority reforms for feedback

by SUSAN MANN

Ontarians have told the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry how to improve conservation authorities’ operations and programs, and now the ministry is seeking input on the best way to implement that advice.

Earlier this month, the ministry posted another consultation document on the Ontario Environmental Registry to get feedback on how to implement reforms. People can comment until Sept. 9.

Ministry spokesperson, Elizabeth Dorff, says by email the ministry is also seeking advice from an advisory group. The group met May 16 and 17 and includes representatives from Ontario’s three general farm organizations along with experts from conservation authorities, the municipal, environmental and development sectors, Aboriginal Peoples and people from other ministries.

The Conservation Authorities Act hasn’t been reviewed “in decades so we are taking this very seriously and listening to a wide range of interested stakeholders,” she says. The ministry started the review last year.

Dorff says any proposed legislative, regulatory or policy changes that are released after the ministry completes its review of the second consultation document would require further public consultations.

The first round of consultations identified five areas needing improvement:

• Oversight and accountability in decision-making.
• Clarity and consistency in roles and responsibilities.
• Collaboration and engagement of all parties involved in resource management.
• Funding mechanisms to support conservation authority operations.
• Flexibility to update the Conservation Authorities Act in the future.

Ontario has 36 conservation authorities, according to a May 16 ministry press release. The authorities are local organizations that manage and protect water and other natural resources.

Ninety per cent of Ontarians live in a watershed managed by a conservation authority, the release says. BF