• Protecting Water and Farmland in Simcoe County

Tell LSRCA to open the doors on its secret decision making

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In Agencies
Jun 19th, 2015
1 Comment
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From Jack Gibbons
 North Gwillimbury Forest Alliance
The DG Group is asking the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) for permission to destroy a 500 acre provincially significant wetland to build a mobile home park. The LSRCA, in turn, says it is none of the public’s business what is in DG’s application, nor should the public have any say on how the authority responds.
Despite repeated requests from the North Gwillimbury Forest Alliance for a public review process for DG Group’s Section 28 permit application that would allow the public to see the application and provide informed comments on the matter, the LSRCA insists this is a private matter that should be decided in secret behind closed doors.
This ‘Let them eat cake’ attitude from a public body is astounding to say the least. The LSRCA is well aware of how controversial the DG Group’s plan is and how much the public is concerned about the fate of the Paradise Beach-Island Grove provincially significant wetland and the North Gwillimbury Forest.
Of course, the best way to ensure transparency on a decision about the DG Group’s application is to make the application part of the public record.  This would make it clear whether what the company proposes meets the ‘Conservation of Land’ test that is required for the issuance of a Section 28 permit.
According to this test, a Section 28 permit cannot be issued if the mobile home park will have even a modest impact on important natural areas or ecosystem functions.  We cannot believe that a 1,073 unit mobile home park on land that is 91% wetland or wetland-adjacent can meet this test.  But right now, the LSRCA is telling us we’ll just have to take their word on it as to whether or not the DG Group’s plan passes the test.
If you think that response isn’t good enough for a Conservation Authority with a mandate to protect the already highly stressed Lake Simcoe watershed and its wetlands, please sign our petition demanding that the LSRCA make the DG Group’s application public and that it establish an open and transparent process for receiving public input.

One Response to “Tell LSRCA to open the doors on its secret decision making”

  1. Ann says:

    Here’s the link to the petition:
    http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-our-wetlands
    Please sign it.

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