SNC Responds to Provincial Proposal to Restructure Conservation Authorities

Conservation Authorities Were Created “For the People, By the People” — SNC Highlights Importance of Local Governance and Community Accountability

Finch – South Nation Conservation (SNC) is reviewing the Province of Ontario’s proposal to amend the Conservation Authorities Act and consolidate Ontario’s 36 Conservation Authorities into seven regional bodies overseen by a new provincial agency (ERO Posting #025-1257). The Environmental Registry consultation is open until December 22, 2025: https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/025-1257.

This proposal represents the most significant change to Ontario’s environmental management system in 80 years.

Conservation Authorities were established as locally governed, watershed-based agencies — created by municipalities, funded by municipalities, and accountable to municipalities. They were founded on the principle that natural resources must be managed at the watershed scale, because drainage, flooding, erosion, and water quality follow watershed boundaries — not administrative borders.

Historically, the Province funded up to 50% of Conservation Authority operations; today, provincial support has fallen to roughly 3%, leaving municipalities to fund the majority of watershed services. SNC is concerned that the proposed restructuring would shift governance away from the municipalities that created and fund Conservation Authorities, resulting in a significant loss of local decision-making, community accountability, and rural representation.

While SNC supports provincial goals to improve consistency and modernize digital permitting, these objectives can be achieved without removing local governance or amalgamating watershed agencies into large provincial structures.

Proposal Lacks Transparency – SNC Supports Timely Sustainable Development

SNC is concerned about the limited information provided to support the restructuring proposal. Municipalities and Indigenous communities received minimal advance notice, no cost-benefit analysis or transition plan has been released, and the proposal offers no clarity on how land transfers, municipal service agreements, risk management offices, or emergency response roles would function.

The ERO posting also does not reference Bill 68 (Schedule 3) — the legislation enabling consolidation — making it difficult for the public to understand the full scope of changes.

Despite claims of inefficiency, SNC issues over 98% of permits within provincial timelines, and provincial reports, including the Province’s Housing Affordability Task Force Report, do not identify Conservation Authorities as barriers to housing or development.

SNC also demonstrates how shared-service delivery models can reduce municipal costs and improve service quality: SNC delivers Ontario Building Code: Part 8 sewage system permitting on behalf of 16 municipalities, issuing 100% of permits within required timelines, with an average review period of just 9 days.

SNC plays an essential role in helping municipalities meet their development targets: 100% of planning reviews and development-related screenings are completed within municipal timelines, and SNC staff work directly with municipal planners, developers, and property owners to resolve issues early, reduce delays, and support local economic growth.

In 2023, the Province removed Conservation Authorities’ ability to provide natural heritage reviews and hydrogeological services for municipalities. This change has not worked for rural Ontario, forcing municipalities to hire private consultants at higher cost, with longer timelines, and with less local knowledge — undermining the coordinated, affordable service model that previously supported rural development.

Donor Lands and Municipal Properties Must Remain Locally Stewarded

Much of SNC’s land base was donated by residents and farm families with the expectation of permanent, local stewardship.

Transferring these properties to a distant regional authority raises concerns regarding:

• charitable trust obligations
• donor intent
• Income Tax Act requirements
• municipal conservation land agreements
• conservation easements and bequests

Maintaining donor confidence is essential to sustaining long-term conservation partnerships in Eastern Ontario.

For more information:https://www.nation.on.ca/snc-responds-provincial-proposal-restructure-conservation-authorities