Ontario is proposing to consolidate its 36 conservation authorities into seven.
The province has emphasized that there will be no job losses as a result of this restructuring.
Environment Minister Todd McCarthy announced Friday that the government will soon introduce legislation to establish a new provincial agency to oversee the amalgamated conservation authorities.
They also plan on consulting on the proposed boundaries of the new regional authorities.
It's unclear what this could mean for the Essex Region Conservation Authority - also known as ERCA.
Tim Byrne, CAO of ERCA, says there's questions about what these changes could mean.
"What it is, where it lands, how it's to function... we're only at very, very early stages of being contacted, and advised of what we're going to have to respond to, what we're going to have work with, and how we move forward."
He says he hopes this isn't about the province wanting to fast-track homes being built.
"If we want extradite development... development should proceed in areas that doesn't negatively impact on, or put people in a position of being subject to hazards, and also that we don't chop down every remanent wooded feature in the region to build houses."
Byrne says they will continue conversations with the province.
"There is an opportunity to consult on it, there is an opportunity for the general public to be engaged on it, and that's most important. And we're looking forward to being part of that engagement."
If it passes, the new structure would be expected to roll out between late 2026 and into 2027.
ERCA is an organization responsible for managing natural resources and protecting the environment in the Essex region, primarily by overseeing land use development, managing floodplains, preserving wetlands, and promoting conservation efforts within their watershed area.
-with files from AM800's The Shift with Patty Handysides