On behalf of the provincial government, MNR has the responsibility to provide advice and direction for implementation of the following three key pieces of provincial legislation:- The Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act, which applies to the management, protection and preservation of the lakes and rivers of Ontario;
- The Conservation Authorities Act, which enables the Province and municipalities within a common watershed to establish a conservation authority to implement resource management programs that serve both provincial and municipal interests;
- The Public Lands Act, which applies to Crown land use planning, lands management, sales, development etc.
In addition, MNR is an integral partner in the delivery of the:
- Ontario Water Resources Act
- Planning Act
- Safeguarding and Sustaining Ontario's Water Act
- Clean Water Act
- Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act
- Fisheries Act (Federal)
On inter-provincial and international waters, MNR plays the lead role in representing Ontario’s interests with other provincial, federal and state jurisdictions regarding water levels, flows, allocations and watershed planning.
MNR participates in representing Provincial interests through implementation of the following agreements:
- The Great-Lakes Charter (pdf, 348 KB) and Great Lakes Charter Annex (pdf, 780 KB)
- The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement (pdf, 174 KB)
- The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
- The Canada-Ontario Agreement
- Canada Wide Accord
- Boundary Waters Treaty
The following weblink provides more information about the Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act Administrative Guide, Technical Bulletins and Best Management Practices.
