Implications for Municipal Autonomy and Planning

This proposal also carries serious implications for local governance and land use planning. The Highlands Corridor spans multiple municipalities across Haliburton County. Yet, the designation of large tracts of Crown land as protected areas can undermine local authority, forcing municipalities to conform to conservation restrictions that they neither designed nor approved.

Moreover, these decisions are often made without direct consultation with affected residents, with minimal public scrutiny. Conservation Reserve designations are not subject to the same public process as local zoning bylaws, meaning communities may find themselves reacting after the fact, rather than having a real say in shaping their future.

Large-scale land use changes like this have ripple effects. Municipalities are responsible for local planning and infrastructure—but Conservation Reserve designations bypass the municipal process.

Unlike zoning changes or official plan amendments, Conservation Reserves are:

• Provincially imposed
  
  

• Not subject to local council approval
  
  

• Not bound by public meetings or appeal rights under the Planning Act
  
  

Once land is designated, local input is limited, and municipalities are left to work around decisions they didn’t make. This raises important questions about accountability and long-term planning coordination.