Conservation authorities are watershed management agencies established under the Conservation Authorities Act, 1946 to deliver programs and services to protect people and property from natural hazards and to conserve natural resources for economic, social, and environmental benefit.
About the Conservation Authorities Act
Conservation authorities are watershed management agencies established under the Conservation Authorities Act, 1946 to deliver programs and services to protect people and property from natural hazards and to conserve natural resources for economic, social, and environmental benefit.
Conservation authorities work in partnership with all levels of government, landowners, and other agencies. Additional background information on conservation authorities is available through Conservation Ontario.
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) was formed in 1957 and is one of 36 conservation authorities in Ontario governed by the Conservation Authorities Act.
TRCA’s jurisdiction includes nine watersheds and their Lake Ontario shorelines. This area includes six upper-tier and 15 lower-tier municipalities representing almost five million people, or approximately 10% of Canada’s population.
Additional information on TRCA’s area of jurisdiction and partnering municipalities is available HERE.
About Ontario Regulation 686/21: Mandatory Programs & Services
Ontario Regulation 686/21, was created in reference to section 21.1 of the Conservation Authorities Act, under Section 21.1), which requires conservation authorities to provide:
- Programs and services related to the risk of natural hazards
- Programs and services related to the conservation and management of lands owned or controlled by the authority, including any interests in land registered on title
- Programs and services related to the authority’s duties, functions, and responsibilities as a source protection authority under the Clean Water Act, 2006
- Programs and services related to the authority’s duties, functions, and responsibilities under an Act prescribed by the regulations
This section goes on to state that the programs and services required under Section 21.1 shall be provided in accordance with such standards and requirements as may be set out in regulations.
The programs and services required under Ontario Regulation 686/21 are designed to protect people and property from dynamic beach hazard, erosion hazard, flooding hazard, hazardous lands, hazardous sites, and low water or drought natural hazards.
The objectives of the mandatory programs and services are to:
- Develop an awareness of the areas that are important for the management of natural hazards including wetlands, river or stream valleys, dynamic beach hazards, and unstable soils or bedrock
- Understand the risks related to natural hazards and how these risks may be affected by climate change
- Manage the risks related to natural hazards including preventing or mitigating those risks
- Promote public awareness of the risks related to natural hazards
As part of the implementation, Ontario Regulation 686/21 requires conservation authorities to prepare the following documents by December 31, 2024:
- Conservation Area Strategy
- Watershed-based Resource Management Strategy
- Land Inventory
- Ice Management Plan
- Flood & Erosion Infrastructure Asset Management Plan
- Flood & Erosion Infrastructure Operational Plan
The regulation also stipulates that the conservation authority shall ensure stakeholders and the public are consulted during the preparation of the Conservation Area Strategy and Watershed-based Resource Management Strategy.
Conservation Area Strategy
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) is developing a Conservation Area Strategy (“CA Strategy”) to guide what programs and services TRCA offers on lands that it owns and/or manages.
The CA Strategy will help TRCA continue to lead the protection and enhancement of our conservation areas and greenspaces.
The CA Strategy pulls together goals and objectives to guide conservation actions for lands owned or managed by TRCA. These objectives are consistent with TRCA’s Strategic Plan 2023-2034.
The proposed goals and objectives are:
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NEWSLETTERS
Watershed-based Resource
Management Strategy
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) is developing a Watershed-based Resource Management Strategy (“Watershed Strategy”) to guide our programs and services.
Our Watershed Strategy will help us continue to protect nature and protect people from flooding and erosion in the communities we serve, and direct where to focus our conservation efforts.
We will use the latest scientific data, including climate change projections, to keep our watersheds healthy for the future.
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