With respect to the…

With respect to the following proposal:

"Forest Management Planning Manual and Forest Information Manual — to enable opportunities to prepare a single forest management plan for multiple units."

I spent 15 years as a member of a Local Citizens Committee advising the MNR on forest management plans in the Temagami Management Unit of northeastern Ontario. I oppose the proposal to allow for the preparation of a single forest management plan for multiple units.

Forest management units are unique. They require plans tailored to the individual characteristics of the unit, not a one-size-fits-all approach.

Local populations (human and wild), tree species composition, water resources, recreation infrastructure, micro-climates, etc., etc. are different one unit to the next. We need forest management plans that recognize and respect these differences. This is going to be increasingly important (not less) as we navigate climate change and the other pressures brought to bear on northern landscapes.

We must not allow expediency, whether financial or regulatory, to dictate the creation of plans that govern how our forests are used and conserved.