Dear Editor,
Ontario Residents: when are Wetlands, Provincially significant Wetlands?
This is a letter in response to the person that recently wrote In the Merrickville-Wolford Times. Let knowledge be a great tool. It was great to get support from our Mayor, the council and the Land Planning Advisory.
Local private Land owners are not alone on this matter, it’s a province wide concern. Let’s be clear these are private owned, not public, lands. Land usage changes are being made to privately owned land without the owners knowledge or input. It would appear these changes are being made by unknown persons to the land owner, and are not accountable!
The land owners normal everyday land usage is being restricted, and in many cases the land doesn’t even have surface water. No consideration is given for property value loss.
Your local planning advisory, whether they agree or not are forced to use mapping provided by Ministry of Natural Resources. When the MNR are contacted by affected land owners and ask for a review of the property and report of science, we don’t get much support. We have been advised this mapping is done by aerial mapping. Dates and times are vague. We have been told they stand by their mapping and are not interested in reviewing or inspecting these properties.
MNR response has been: “get your owner evaluator at property owner cost, then present it for their review”. Meanwhile, they don’t provide any reports for your review of science documentation and boundaries.
If you are a rural land owner, maybe it’s worth checking with your local planning advisory mapping for your property use.
To set the record, many private owned land owners are good forest managers and lovers of nature. Many are farmers trying to make a living, that provides food for our tables.
We rural land owners would like to be treated like any other property owner, who is dealt with in a fair manner.
Thank You,
John Miner
