Open Letter to MNRF

North Dufferin Agricultural & Community Taskforce (NDACT) and Food & Water First (F&WF) along with 20 other organizations have endorsed an open letter to Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF).  The letter written by Environmental Defence provides feedback re: improving Ontario’s resilience to flooding, and supports Ontario’s Conservation Authorities, as well as outlines Ontario’s need for wetlands and requests protection for our natural heritage.

Ontario’s 36 Conservation Authorities (CAs) were established in 1946 after decades of tree clearing created extensive flooding problems. In 1954, the CAs gained popular support after Hurricane Hazel showed the necessity for flood management on a watershed basis. Today each municipality funds and has representation at the local CA.  As the letter states, “There is no replacement for the knowledge and expertise that conservation authorities hold, and they are the best suited agencies to protect Ontario communities from floods as they are the only agencies operating at the watershed scale on these issues.”

Click here to read the letter (.pdf)