• Protecting Water and Farmland in Simcoe County

Wednesday March 3: deadline for input on Lake Simcoe Protection Plan review

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Feb 21st, 2021
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Lake Simcoe

From Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition

Lake Simcoe is stressed by phosphorus loads, climate change, and invasive species. The Lake Simcoe Protection Plan (LSPP) addresses these issues and lays out regulations, monitoring, and outreach strategies to address these stressors. If implemented, the LSPP would protect the watershed’s health, and its $420 million/year sustainable recreation sector.

As it stands today, phosphorus levels are rising, climate change has not been addressed by this government, and provincial funding cuts have nearly wiped out the agencies that worked on invasive species management. Due to Growth Plan changes underway, more sprawling development in the Lake Simcoe watershed will cause phosphorus pollution, plumes of sediment in the lake, and foul fish spawning beds. This is no way to protect the jewel of Southern Ontario.

Link to Environmental Registry of Ontario (survey open to March 3 2021)

In the statutory review of the LSPP we urge this provincial government to not weaken the Plan. It does not need to be changed, it needs to be implemented.

– An administrative review of the LSPP would be safer for the lake than changing the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan;
– Do not touch the targets or policies of the LSPP; rather, work to achieve the targets;
– Focus on protection of forests and wetlands and a renewed Phosphorus Reduction Strategy;
– Do not allow new sewage treatment plants on the lake; the Upper York Sewage Treatment Plant in particular;
– Provide reliable data, approved by the Lake Simcoe Science Committee, that tracks progress towards the LSPP’s targets and objectives as the basis of the Plan review.

Why? The LSPP is a science-based plan, and any proposals to modify it must be supported by science and research validated by the Lake Simcoe Science and Coordinating Committees.

Nearly every MPP in the area campaigned on protecting Lake Simcoe. Now is the time to fulfill those campaign promises by making the choice to protect and implement the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan.

Link to RLSC letter

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