[All] Letter for GREN sign-on

Fri Oct 9 12:00:47 EDT 2015

Hi all:

I had hoped that GREN would participate in the Conservation Authorities Act
Review.

My concerns with the Grand River Conservation Authority stem from two
recent events that I have been involved in this summer.  This is at a
different level than what is being discussed in this draft paper, but I
will share my concerns in any case.

I have been told by GRCA that once a complainant files a complaint with the
GRCA, the GRCA under their own policies is not required to follow up.  The
public is truly left out of the picture.  They do not include you on a site
visit to have your concerns heard (even on public land), instead they meet
with the landowner.  They are not required to share information received,
action required and when, or penalties assessed.  The only way to force
that information is to do a Freedom of Information request, unless of
course you go to the media.

Such a frustrating process!

Back to what you've asked us today. The draft report seems fine with me,
especially engaging stakeholders, although I don't have much involvement at
the level discussed in this report.  (It gets a little dirtier down in the
trenches :)

Deb Swidrovich

.

On Fri, Oct 9, 2015 at 10:15 AM, Louisette Lanteigne <
butterflybluelu at rogers.com> wrote:

> Here is an great document reflecting the Indigenous perspective on the
> issue of water protection in Ontario. Using these concepts we can help
> bridge the wisdom of Canada's shared cultures together.
>
> The International Indigenous Policy Journal: Traditional Knowledge:
> Considerations for Protecting Water in Ontario
>
> http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1080&context=iipj
>
> Lulu
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com>
> *To:* Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com>
> *Sent:* Friday, October 9, 2015 10:06 AM
> *Subject:* Re: Letter for GREN sign-on
>
> I do support the document being signed. Absolutely.
>
> Lulu :0)
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com>
> *To:* John Jackson <jjackson at web.ca>; Bob Burtt <bobburtt at gmail.com>;
> Gregory C. Michalenko <gcmichalenko at uwaterloo.ca>; Kevin Thomason <
> kevinthomason at mac.com>; Don Roberts <jandonrob at gmail.com>; Susan Bryant <
> shbryant at uwaterloo.ca>; Deb Swidrovich <deswid at gmail.com>; S D Lachance <
> sdlachance at golden.net>; Anne Morgan <annemorgan7 at gmail.com>; Susan Koswan
> <susankoswan at execulink.com>; Jeff Stager <shadynook at golden.net>; Robert
> Milligan <mill at continuum.org>; S Stubley <scstubley at yahoo.ca>; Theo
> Negoita <ante712-gren at yahoo.ca>; c deaun Moulton <deaunm at gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Friday, October 9, 2015 10:04 AM
> *Subject:* Re: Letter for GREN sign-on
>
> We should include mention of vernal pond habitats as well. Although they
> may not qualify for wetland per say since some are intermittent, it is an
> important function to facilitate the protection of natural recharge and
> biodiversity dependent on those features. It is essential to maintain
> reasonable test times to observe the delta water levels of ponds, wetlands
> and headwaters because currently too many assessments are being done in
> months of November rather than after spring thaw. I don't know if we can
> include test times into the framework but I would advise tucking something
> like that into the plans at some point.  We need to standardize test times
> and methods.
>
> I'd like to see measures made to include First Nation's input if possible
> too. They know their lands and what needs to be protected to maintain flow
> and flow rates, water quality and water temperatures beyond the scope of
> standard academia or a line on a map. Many indigenous folks view current
> planning as woefully insufficient and lacking in true sophistication and
> localized knowledge. Sometimes the best way to protect water flow is
> actually to protect wolves. Without wolves, animals like deer and rabbit
> eat new growth trees inside forests and along the water's edge. Wolves keep
> deer in the meadows, rabbits in control and maintains ongoing hydrological
> cycles protecting water volumes, flow rates, water temperatures and healthy
> fish. Indigenous people know the balance of things. Often what is deemed
> sacred in an area may be different from one territory to another but it is
> always linked directly to protecting the water. It's the most important
> thing we've got.
>
> Lulu
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* John Jackson <jjackson at web.ca>
> *To:* John Jackson <jjackson at web.ca>; Bob Burtt <bobburtt at gmail.com>;
> Gregory C. Michalenko <gcmichalenko at uwaterloo.ca>; Louisette Lanteigne <
> butterflybluelu at rogers.com>; Kevin Thomason <kevinthomason at mac.com>; Don
> Roberts <jandonrob at gmail.com>; Susan Bryant <shbryant at uwaterloo.ca>; Deb
> Swidrovich <deswid at gmail.com>; S D Lachance <sdlachance at golden.net>; Anne
> Morgan <annemorgan7 at gmail.com>; Susan Koswan <susankoswan at execulink.com>;
> Jeff Stager <shadynook at golden.net>; Robert Milligan <mill at continuum.org>;
> S Stubley <scstubley at yahoo.ca>; Theo Negoita <ante712-gren at yahoo.ca>; c
> deaun Moulton <deaunm at gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Friday, October 9, 2015 9:02 AM
> *Subject:* Letter for GREN sign-on
>
> I am writing to the paid up GREN members for your input on the attached
> letter put together by the Ontario Headwaters Institute. We have had
> on-going communication with this group.
>
> This is a comment letter on three proposals that the provincial government
> currently has out for input. OHI has sent this draft letter to us in
> advance of going out for wide sign-on to see if we have any suggestions or
> comments on the letter. The comments are at a non-specific level in terms
> of content because it is a letter for sign-on by groups from across the
> province. So please look at it in terms of whether the principles etc are
> ones that would help us deal with issues in our area.
>
> They need to know by Tuesday whether we recommend any changes to the
> letter so they can make changes before sending it out for sign-on.
>
> So please get back to me by Tuesday to let me know two things:
>
>    1. are there changes that you think need to be made?
>    2. do you recommend that we sign-on to the letter?
>
>
> You will note in the letter that the Great Lakes Protection Act has been
> removed from the list of items at the top of the letter being discussed.
> This is because the GLPA was passed by the Ontario legislature on Wednesday
> of this week.
>
> Please get back to me.
>
> John
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> John Jackson
> 17 Major Street
> Kitchener N2H 4R1
> 519-744-7503
>
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>
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