Amalgamation of Conservation Authorities

Under the guise of fast-tracking housing and infrastructure construction, consistent standards and better flood and hazard management across the province, the Ontario government is proposing to amalgamate 36 existing conservation authorities into seven larger regional bodies, with oversight from a provincial agency.The plan, announced in November 2025, has already received harsh criticism from several municipalities and conservation authorities through the public consultation or period, which ended in late December. Those in opposition have voiced concerns over the loss of local environmental knowledge, reduced community engagement, potential job losses, and disruption to critical flood management.When it comes to Haliburton County, only a small fraction falls under conservation authority jurisdiction, that being a tiny portion in Highlands East, managed by Crowe Valley Conservation. And yet, the Kawartha Conservation Authority manages Source Water Protection here.CanoeFM spoke with a number of local organizations who fear how the amalgamation of conservation authorities will impact the local environment and in turn, the county's economy.