BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS

The Essex Region has seen first-hand the challenging and costly impacts of climate change, growth, loss of wetlands and habitats, pollution, impaired Great Lakes water quality, and many other stressors on our environment.

The health of our rivers and streams are poor, and our Great Lakes are enormously disrupted. The Leamington tributaries have been identified as Priority Watersheds under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement due to high levels of phosphorous, which is the leading cause of microcystins and harmful algal blooms in the western basin of Lake Erie. We are facing heighted challenges related to climate change and unpredictable weather patterns and severe storms that test our stormwater infrastructure resulting in both urban and overland flooding and, combined with record high water levels, have greatly impacted our shorelines and municipal infrastructure and require additional monitoring and flood advisories. Invasive species such as Phragmites threaten our wetlands and drainage systems, reduce biodiversity and habitats, and the overall health of our watersheds. New threats, such as Oak Wilt, have the potential to significantly damage our natural areas. These issues are integrated, and with greater urgency, a regional, coordinated effort is required.

Conservation Authorities are recognized for their efforts to address these challenges through integrated watershed planning and management. The recently updated Conservation Authorities Act changes the way conservation authorites deliver programs and services, but continues to ecognizes that Conservation Authorities objects remains conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources, whihc we do on a watershed basis. The 2018 Lake Erie Action Plan lays out 125 actions that includes opportunities for conservation authorities and other partners in the delivery of actions associated with reductions in phosphorous. The recently released Provincial Environment Plan: Preserving and Protecting our Environment for Future Generations commits to continue to work with Conservation Authorities on many different initiatives in order to help ensure the health of our lakes, rivers and greenspaces, protect important sources of drinking water and commits support for the important role of conservation authorities in protecting people and property from flooding and other natural hazards, and conserving natural resources.

BUDGET PRESSURES

The Draft 2020 Budget considers and responds to these challenges and reflects key priorities in the 2016-2025 Strategic Plan: Sustaining the Place for Life. While ERCA has been recognized as a leader in leveraging local funding to deliver key programs, changes in government and funding program priorities, increased competition for limited funding, and narrowing of program scope makes this increasingly challenging.

Legislative and Regulatory Change

Changes to Legislation and Regulation: Bill 108, the More Homes, More Choices Act, 2019 introduced changes to how Conservation Authorities structure their programs. Though the legislation did not change the objects of an Authority, which remain "to provide, in the area over which it has jurisdiction, programs and services designed to further the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources other than gas, oil, coal and minerals", ERCA will work with other Conservation Authorities, Conservation Ontario, Municipalities and the Province on the regulations that will define the activities to be delivered as part of Provincially Mandatory Programs and Services (Risk of natural hazards, conservation and management of CA owned or controlled lands, drinking water source protection, and other programs or services as prescribed by regulation), and those Municipal and Conservation Authority led programs which are to be delivered through Agreements with municipalities. Once regulations are drafted, the legislation provides for a Transition period for conservation authorities and their member municipalities to restructure budgets to fully reflect provincial and municipal program delivery, develop agreements with municipalities and work through any other details. Until then, ERCA will continue delivering the important activities needed to address the issues in our region.

Provincial Transfer Payments

ERCA delivers its delegated Flood Protection and Source Water Protection programs through provincial transfer payments. In 2019, provincial support for flood protection was reduced by 50% and there was uncertainties regarding funding for Source Water Protection. These programs have been identified as mandatory programs, which raises some uncertainty regarding future provincial support.