occurred, and where does this project sit now? The process The changes to the Conservation Authorities Act began in 2022. When first proposed on the provincial level, a comment period was open for 66 days between Oct. 25 and Dec. 30. “It’s not a new area of focus for OFA, with balancing the needs of wetlands and agriculture in Ontario,” says Cameron. “We have been working with the Ministry of Natural Resources since 2022. There was an awareness that there would be changes coming, and in that year, OFA submitted comments to two MNR proposals, and our position was and remains that we are categorically opposed to any non-agricultural use of prime farmland.” OFA also reinforced that fully functional wetlands cannot be created or restored to replace wetlands lost to other land uses. “Creating new wetlands and woodlands through offsets can lead to difficulty for farmers. “We aren’t looking to support creating new wetlands just because they lost some. And the cost of lost wetland restoration and compensation can’t come at the cost of agricultural land.” These comments were considered in the 2022 comment period, and no further was heard about the changes throughout 2023. In February 2024, the ministry made their decision on the regulations, and they were shared publicly on April 1. This change was made to Section 28 of the Conservation Authorities Act, with Ontario Regulation 41/24: Prohibited Activities, Exemptions and Permits. The three Eastern Ontario conservation authorities were then mandated to update their identification of locally significant wetlands in addition to the previously allocated provincially significant wetlands. “It forced consistency across the province,” explains Cameron, who notes that this became the “point of grief” in the situation. “The conservation authorities went back to do their due diligence. On May 23, there was a meeting hosted by South Nation Conservation Authority. The purpose was to roll out the plan to some organizations and that there would be consultations for public input and comment in future.” In the days following this, Cameron was told that three of the four counties in his zone would be affected by the changes and that meetings would be held by local federations to discuss what was coming. Ryan Devries, president of the Dundas Federation of Agriculture, said that the timing of the announcements and meetings added to the apprehension of local farmers. “South Nation Conservation Authority had reached out to us in the middle of the busy cropping season,” says Ryan. 22_0470_Gloves_Grip_HalfHoriz_US_MXsp Mod: October 23, 2023 3:30 PM Print: 08/01/24 page 1 v2.5 πSHIPPING SUPPLY SPECIALISTS COMPLETE CATALOG 1-800-295-5510 GET A GRIP! ALL STYLES ALWAYS IN STOCK ORDER BY 6 PM FOR SAME DAY SHIPPING WETLAND MAPPING CONCERNS 23 Better Farming | October 2024 Follow us on @BetterFarmingON
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