Dear Minister, I am writing…

Dear Minister,

I am writing to comment on the current proposal for Ontario’s Forest Sector Strategy. I would like to encourage you to consider altering the current draft of the forest sector strategy. The current draft is heavily biased in favour of private sector profits and truly fails to recognize the importance of healthy forests for mitigating some of the impacts of the current climate emergency and providing viable habitat for sustaining the natural biodiversity of Ontario.

I am alarmed to see that the current draft is so heavily focused on “removing barriers” and reducing “regulatory burden” for the forestry industry. This emphasis fails to recognize the importance of governmental oversight in monitoring and controlling abuses of the system and industrial pollution. For an example of this, we only need to look at the Grassy Narrows disaster – where both the Ontario Government and the pulp and paper companies, Weyerhaeuser and Bowater, were eventually forced to own up to their years of criminal negligence.

Even the use of the term “regulator burden” in the Ontario Forest Sector Strategy proposal indicates the current government’s bias against governance and stewardship of our environmental future.

The short half-page discussing “Sustainable Forest Management” does not articulate any plans or ideas for growing our sustainability. This section only discusses what we currently “have” – while the rest of the Strategy is focused on “removing barriers” and reducing “regulatory burden.” And the small paragraph discussing “A Path to Increase Forest Growth” only gives lip service to collecting information – and lacks any plan to do anything to grow Ontario’s forests.

The Forest Sector Strategy draft includes nothing about protecting the natural habitats of our Ontario flora and fauna. Instead, the emphasis on delivering “further red tape and regulatory burden relief for the forest sector” has the implication that the natural habitats of endangered and at-risk plants and wildlife will not be protected.

I am imploring you and your government to re-consider the serious implications of such a short-sighted proposal. Please consider adding in more protections for Ontario’s sustainable future – including a stronger emphasis on forest stewardship and growth and increased protections for Ontario’s wildlife.

Thank you for your consideration.