HERE WE GO AGAIN - EVEN MORE DAMAGING & RECKLESS PROPOSED CHANGES BY THE FORD GOVERNMENT DIRECTLY AFFECTING THE SILVER CREEK WETLAND

FORD'S PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE ONTARIO WETLAND EVALUATION SYSTEM (OWES):

Today, one of our Friends of Silver Creek was speaking with a representative of the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA), under whose jurisdiction the Silver Creek Wetland resides. There is great concern by the ecologists at the NVCA that if the proposed to our Ontario Wetland Evaluation System go through, Silver Creek Wetland will no longer be considered provincially significant and will not have any protection whatsoever from development.   The degradation of the Wetlands will have cumulative impacts on the watershed – green infrastructure will be weakened, native plants and animals will be displaced, migration and breeding grounds will be disrupted and climate change resiliency in the watershed will be reduced.

Wetlands are currently evaluated under the Ontario Wetlands Evaluation System. In the Nottawasaga Watershed, there are 33 provincially significant wetlands (PSW), of which Silver Creek Wetland is but one, 34 important but non-provincially significant wetlands as well as approximately 80 wetlands and wetland complexes in the Nottawasaga watershed that are unevaluated, but would likely become provincially significant if they were evaluated.

The Ontario government is proposing to change the evaluation system and redefine what PSW's are. If the new legislation is approved, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Conservation Authorities will no longer be involved in evaluating wetlands. If this Bill is to pass, who will oversee development around wetlands with an objective lens?

Again we need your help - please register your support for NOT changing the evaluation system unless further consultation takes place with the environmental community and the Conservation Authorities. The link to comment on Changes to the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System is:  https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-6160

You can submit comments until Nov 24

Please note: do not put your name or any personal information in your comment or it will not be posted.

Here are sample comments you can use:

I/we wholeheartedly disagree with the proposed updates to the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System without further consultation with Conservation Authorities’ experts and full transparency with the citizens of Ontario as to the veracity of the proposed changes. 

The Silver Creek Wetland, deemed a provincially significant wetland, is located in Collingwood, ON in the Nottawasaga Watershed and is very important for flood control, water filtering, groundwater recharge and discharge and provides important fish and wildlife habitat.  The Silver Creek Wetland absorbs excess rainwater and snowmelt, slows floodwaters helping to alleviate property damage. In the face of climate change, the Silver Creek Wetland is even more important as we experience more extreme storm events.

In addition, the Wetlands provide a critical habitat for threatened and endangered species such as the Least Bittern and the Spotted Turtle, as well as the provincially rare plant species, Stiff Yellow Flax.  These and a number of other fish, wildlife and vegetation would be wiped out with the abolition of proper wetland evaluation and protection. I/we want to protect the Silver Creek Wetland from erroneous development and keep it as one of the most important features of our natural heritage in Ontario for generations to come.
 

Regards,
Friends of Silver Creek