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
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.
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 who 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.
SNC Services Continue Without Disruption
SNC continues to deliver all watershed programs across its 4,480 km² jurisdiction, including:
• natural hazard management and permitting
• watershed planning and development review
• flood forecasting and low water response
• drinking water source protection
• forestry, restoration, and stewardship programs
• agricultural support and cost-share programs
• management of over 13,000 acres of conservation lands
Conservation Authorities are the only environmental agencies with boots on-the-ground providing natural resource management, local monitoring, site visits, emergency response, and technical expertise to municipalities, landowners, and farm families.
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 local 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.
Bilingual Service Obligations Must Be Protected
SNC is the only bilingual Conservation Authority in Southern Ontario, serving municipalities designated under the French Language Services Act. Any restructuring must ensure continued access to bilingual services and avoid downloading new bilingual obligations onto municipalities that do not operate in both official languages. Integrating SNC into a larger region risks weakening bilingual service quality and increasing local administrative costs.
Watershed-Based Management Must Be Preserved
Eastern Ontario’s unique hydrology and geology — including the Casselman-to-Lemieux Potential Retrogressive Landslide Area and sensitive Leda clay plains — require specialized management rather than “consistency” delivered from distant regional offices. Effective watershed management depends on local policies that reflect local conditions and realities.
SNC is part of the Ottawa Conservation Partners with Rideau Valley and Mississippi Valley Conservation Authorities, working seamlessly with the City of Ottawa to align planning reviews, environmental monitoring, and stewardship delivery on private property.
SNC also delivers specialized agricultural stewardship programs built around local soils, farm practices, and long-standing relationships. These programs are not universally delivered across the province, but they are essential in SNC’s region, where agriculture represents the largest land base and a major economic driver. These tailored services risk being diminished under a broad, standardized regional model.
Restructuring Would Increase Costs and Disrupt Services
Large-scale consolidation would require major transitions in governance, staffing, IT systems, land and asset transfers, and municipal agreements — diverting resources away from frontline watershed programs.
SNC also emphasizes its strong support for Conservation Ontario, the network agency for Conservation Authorities. Municipalities are concerned that their locally raised tax dollars may be redirected away from Conservation Ontario and toward establishing a new provincial agency — costs that should be borne by the Province, not municipalities.
Since 2020, Conservation Authorities have already undergone substantial regulatory and administrative change, including new provincial regulations (O. Reg. 41/24), mandatory municipal service agreements, and governance policy updates. Layering full consolidation on top of these recent changes would significantly increase administrative burden, slow response times, and reduce service quality during a period of escalating climate-driven natural hazards.
Many smaller Conservation Authorities — much like small municipalities — would genuinely benefit from consolidation or enhanced shared-service models. These organizations should be the Province’s focus, not restructuring large, high-performing Conservation Authorities that already deliver efficient, coordinated local services.
Modernization Can Continue Without Structural Reform
SNC welcomes modernization efforts, including the introduction of a new online provincial permitting portal to improve transparency and customer service.
There are also meaningful opportunities for shared-service solutions — such as modernIT systems, digital infrastructure, and information management — that could improve efficiency across Conservation Authorities.
These improvements can be implemented within Ontario’s current watershed-based model. Structural amalgamation is not required and would weaken the municipal relationships necessary to deliver effective watershed management.
SNC’s Position Remains Clear
SNC and its member municipalities will be submitting comments with Conservation Ontario to the Province and encourage community partners and residents to provide input before December 22, 2025, at: https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/025-1257.
Modernization must not come at the expense of:
• local accountability and decision-making
• rural representation
• watershed-based science and natural hazard expertise
• donor trust and municipal land agreements
• agricultural partnerships and on-the-ground service delivery
• bilingual service obligations
• community safety and emergency response capacity
SNC remains committed to protecting people and property, supporting municipalities and landowners, safeguarding drinking water, restoring natural systems, and delivering high-quality watershed services across Eastern Ontario.
Healthy watersheds are the foundation of healthy communities and strong local economies. SNC supports the Province’s goal of improving service delivery, strengthening natural hazard management, and enhancing digital permitting tools to help streamline the development process. We encourage the government to build on the significant strengths already present within Ontario’s Conservation Authority system, rather than replacing them, by investing in modernization, supporting local capacity, and ensuring sustainable provincial funding.
Given that it already takes over an hour to travel across SNC’s watershed, strong local offices and locally based technical staff are essential to delivering rapid site visits, emergency response, field monitoring, permitting, and stewardship services. Protecting our communities and supporting sustainable development depend on maintaining local capacity where people live and work.
With the right commitment, this moment can become an opportunity to shape the future of conservation in Ontario in a meaningful and lasting way.