-I am in favour of the…

Comment

-I am in favour of the extension to the regulation under s. 22.1 of O. Reg. 242/08, but it should be at least 5 years, instead of the proposed 2 years. It is unreasonable to assume that 2 years will be enough time to address the outstanding issues and develop reasonable, workable, balanced prescriptions – considering the amount of time required to form the independent panel, get meaningful contributions for First Nations, and the anticipated delay caused by the spring 2018 election. This needs to lead to a permanent solution that recognizes that the CFSA approach to forest management works better for all species, including species at risk, than the single-species protectionist approach of the ESA.

-Establish the independent panel as soon as possible and start the process. The panel needs to include Ontario registered professional foresters who have experience writing forest management plans and doing operational planning for access, harvest and silviculture.

-Get this extension approved by the end of March 2018 – the spring election could delay approval if it goes past that date.

[Original Comment ID: 213244]