Quinte Conservation is urging residents and municipalities to speak out after the Ontario government announced plans to merge the province’s 36 conservation authorities into seven large regional bodies.
The changes are part of Bill 68, the Plan to Protect Ontario Act, which creates a new provincial agency that will oversee conservation authority operations, finances, and long-term planning.
Under the proposal, Quinte Conservation would join six other authorities to form the Eastern Lake Ontario Regional Conservation Authority, covering 48 municipalities and 16,000 square kilometres from Whitby to Napanee, north to the Kawarthas and south to Prince Edward County.
Quinte Conservation’s board warns local oversight could weaken, noting municipalities currently fund more than half of QC’s operating budget. The organization also manages 40 dams, 13 conservation areas, and 30,000 acres of protected land.
Residents are encouraged to submit comments on the Environmental Registry of Ontario website by Dec. 22, 2025, as the province reviews public feedback.
Written by Emily Chatwood
