Nature & Outdoor Tourism…

Nature & Outdoor Tourism Ontario (NOTO) is supportive of strengthening the collective responsibility for wildland fire management in Ontario. We acknowledge that everyone including individuals, industries, communities, organizations and Government need to work together to reduce the risk of forest fires as climate change leads to longer and more challenging fire seasons.

In order to best work together, MNR engagement, policies and regulations will need to reflect the need for collaboration and provide flexibility to allow industries, communities and stakeholders to play a role in risk management.

On behalf of the resource-based tourism sector and NOTO’s Board of Directors, we would like to offer the following comments with regards to the modernization of wildland fire management in Ontario.

Themes Included in our Attached Document:
- POLICIES AND REGULATIONS: Reducing Red Tape, Examples of Policies for Implementation, Activation of Assistance for Fire Response, Flexibility, Reintroducing Prescribed Burns at Larger Scale
- COMMUNICATION AND THE SHARING OF INFORMATION: Industry, Community and Stakeholder Fire Updates, Enhanced Transparency, Additional Communication and Access to Information, The Creation of an Advisory Committee
- EDUCATION: Making educational information and tools more readily available
- FOSTERING COLLABORATION: Increasing Capacity (within and outside MNR), Leveraging Relationships & Exploring New Opportunities
- EXPLORING WAYS TO FUND PREVENTION AND MITIGATION ACTIVITIES: Potential Funding Programs, Innovations and Reinvestment