Amid backlash over a controversial bill that gutted conservation authorities’ powers, the Ontario government is appointing a working group to advise it on how the changes should roll out.
The working group will be led by Conservation Halton president and CEO Hassaan Basit, an evolutionary biologist who has been critical of the changes to conservation authorities, calling them disappointing in a Dec. 14 email to his organization s supporters. The group’s work will begin in January, with new regulations rolling out in early 2021, Environment Minister Jeff Yurek announced Wednesday.
“As we move forward together, we want to build stronger relationships with conservation authorities so we can work together to ensure consistent best practices, good governance and appropriate accountability to best serve the people of Ontario,” Yurek said in a statement.