The proposed forest strategy…

The proposed forest strategy that calls for significant increase in timber harvesting and associated infrastructure (aka. logging roads) gives scant consideration for the preservation of critical wildlife habitat and biodiversity, essential for healthy forests. We need to set side large tracts of Ontario's boreal forests for permanent protection to ensure the survival of endangered species like the woodland caribou and preserve the carbon storage and sequestering capacity that these trees provide. More logging leads to more habitat loss and fragmentation and creates access for predators, illegal hunters and squatters into previously inaccessible areas. It comes down to a basic question: Does maximizing short-term profits for an extractive industry like logging from expanded harvesting outweigh the long-term environmental and climate benefits that large intact forests provide? I think not. The Ford Government's proposed strategy is short-sighted and needs to be re-thought.