OWA Renfrew Chapter Comments…

OWA Renfrew Chapter Comments

In many respects the forest sector strategy is complete and well argued. It is, however very Crown forest centric.

There was only one line on page 20 specifically mentioning privately owned forests " Ontario will consider the use of various tools to encourage greater timber production on private lands."

We believe that there needs to be a full section relating to privately owned forests and their potential to deliver both environmental benefits as well as economic and social benefits in southern Ontario.

For example, in Minister Yakabuski’s riding alone there is an even split between Crown and privately owned forest land; 250 thousand ha each. Furthermore there is an active forest industry in the riding that depends on both Crown and private land sources for their logs.

Overall in the province there are over 6 million ha of privately owned forest land (https://www.ontario.ca/page/private-land-forestry). Many mills in the south depend on private forests for a good part of their wood. There are about 16 thousand forest “owners”, ranging from woodlot owners (non farmers and farmers), to conservation authorities, county forests and so on. Players on this landscape include the Ontario Woodlot Association and the Eastern Ontario Model Forest. Forests Ontario has already been given its due in the strategy, which is good.

These lands come under the legal jurisdiction of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, the Department of Environment (re endangered species) and OMAFRA re agricultural lands on which many woodlots are situated. We do not think that these "silos" should keep OMNRF out of the southern forestry game. These forests are too important a component of Ontario’s forests to be “ orphaned” from the needed support and attention of the professional forestry resources of the OMNRF.

So, in a nutshell, a big hole needs to be filled, and OMNRF should consider itself to be the main government stakeholder regardless of the current provincial legislative make up. So, perhaps create a "Provincial non-Crown Forest Group" with these players and led by OMNRF. The “Provincial non-Crown Forest Group”; led by OMNRF and made up of the other listed ministries, should also include an advisory body made up of EOMF, OWA, Forests Ontario, and the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association which is the main driver for the Environmental Farm Program.

Signed: Ontario Woodlot Association, Renfrew Chapter
February 5, 2020