CFMI supports a two-year…

CFMI supports a two-year temporary suspension of ESA protections for black ash. While the knee-jerk reaction to protecting black ash from projected EAB destruction may be to protect every occurrence of the tree, science of forest management, including the silvics of black ash, need to be thoroughly reviewed with strong science-based policy developed for Crown forest managers. I am doubtful that Crown forest logging, especially with today's standards, will ever play any significant role in the decline of black ash - instead, it may actually play a role in the species' recovery should it be affected by EAB as anticipated. Also, as we're all well aware, EAB has been present in the Sault Ste. Marie area for years and has affected urban ash populations, yet MNR has never reported any destruction of black ash caused by EAB in the surrounding Algoma Forest that I can recall, and I don't believe we have ever observed any either.