As a practicing, Registered…

As a practicing, Registered Professional Forester in Ontario, I strongly support a long-term Section 55 Regulatory Exemption for the forest sector which recognizes the Crown Forest Sustainability Act (CFSA) as an equivalent process to the Endangered Species Act (ESA). I do not support the attempts at harmonization of the CFSA with the ESA through amendments to Section 18 as proposed in this posting.
• The forest sector requires a permanent solution to the ESA
• This can be best accomplished through a long term (permanent) section 55 Regulatory Exemption
• I do not support the section 18 ‘harmonization option’ as a solution for the forest sector – it does not effectively deal with the socio-economic risks posed to the sector by the ESA
• The forest sector is an important driver of the northern economy and therefore a solution to the ESA is critical
• Section 55 Regulatory exemptions have provided the only viable path for the forest sector since the ESA was enacted more than a decade ago
• Endangered species are important, but so are jobs, communities, and the economy
• The best way to manage for all three objectives is clearly by making the balanced CFSA an equivalent process to the ESA