Local advocates decry conservation authority changes If mergers are approved, Stratford and Perth County would be part of the Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority. Try refreshing your browser, or Local advocates decry conservation authority changes Back to video We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Article content Last week, the province released a map of the potential new conservation authorities, with Stratford, St. Marys and the four lower Perth County tiers located in the Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority. In a statement on the day of the announcement, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority officials noted that, historically, conservation authority boundaries have been based on watersheds, where water naturally flows, rather than municipal borders. The ministry is now collecting feedback on the conservation authority consolidation, and the new proposed boundaries, until Dec. 22.