Environmental Planning and Regulations: Protecting people and property and supporting safe development
- Provide land use planning advisory services to identify natural hazard, development servicing, and natural resource planning concerns
- Assist municipalities with fulfilling their Planning Act responsibilities by identifying natural hazard areas and providing policy support
- Provide technical peer review services
- Administer the Conservation Authorities Act approval process
- Provide inquiry services (legal, real estate, general information)
PLEASE NOTE: On February 16, 2024, the Province introduced a new regulation under the Conservation Authorities Act. Ontario Regulation 41/24: Prohibited Activities, Exemptions and Permits came into effect on April 1, 2024. For more information, please visit www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/240041 and www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90c27.
Anyone planning to undertake development activities in or near a regulated area, including flood plains, valley lands, and wetlands, is still required to apply for a permit.
Permit applications submitted before April 1, 2024, will follow the previous approval process. Permit applications submitted on or after April 1, 2024, will follow the processes outlined in the updated Section 28 of the Conservation Authorities Act and the new regulation (Ontario Regulation 41/24).
The new regulation provides a list of activities or works that will no longer require a UTRCA permit, where works are carried out in accordance with the regulation. We encourage applicants to confirm exceptions with our planning staff before carrying out the work.
There are no changes to UTRCA planning services – we continue to provide mandatory services related to reviewing and commenting on applications, proposals, and other matters under other Acts and regulations.
UTRCA is in the process of transitioning from the Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses Regulation (Ontario Regulation 157/06) to the new Prohibited Activities, Exemptions and Permits Regulation (Ontario Regulation 41/24). We will keep our partners, stakeholders, and the public informed as we update our implementation documentation and support materials, to minimize disruptions to the development approval process.
