As a resident of…

As a resident of Northwestern Ontario. I am very alarmed with many of the proposals and premises outlined in the Forest Strategy Draft:

The volume of timber harvested today is less than 60% of what it was in 2000.

This is certainly not the case in the Dryden District. I have been involved in forest management plans since the 1990's. The harvest level of the Wabigoon Forest had to drop in the 2019-29 FMP because the Wabigoon Forest was over harvested in previous plans. The harvest level should have dropped by at least 50% so that 45-60 year old trees aren't harvested. Trees are being harvested at a young age when the diameter is too small for lumber and the trees are being chipped. It has become volume and not board feet.

This is having a tremendous negative impact on boreal wildlife species such as moose and boreal birds that depend on mature boreal forest habitat. It has become increasingly difficult to view moose in the Dryden District. Once common forest dependent species such as Evening Grosbeaks are now on the Species at Risk List. Some of the boreal species on the Species at Risk such as Canada Warbler who require mature forest for nesting are also impacted on the South American and Central American wintering grounds and migratory routes. This is not the case for Evening Grosbeaks. They are year round residents of the boreal forest. Their nesting habitat is being depleted by over harvesting and shorter harvest rotations.

Dryden District residents enjoy their forest-based recreation and I am not talking about burning fossil fuels driving down the over abundance of forestry roads through clear cuts. I am talking about hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, mountain biking and wilderness paddling. Our northern communities need mature forest stands not clear cuts for non-motorized activities to maintain mental and physical health and enjoy nature.

Even the Dryden Ski Hill and cross-country ski trails are targeted for harvest every FMP. A no cut boundary should be put in place around identified community forest trails on the Crown land. Forest stands on and beside the Dryden Ski Hill cross-country ski trails have been approved for harvest in the Wabigoon 2019-29 FMP in spite of over 100 signatures on a petition requesting no harvest. The volunteers on the Dryden Ski Club executive felt pressured by Domtar to agree to the harvest blocks. The approved harvest will destroy the aesthetics of the ski trail. The Wabigoon Forest is so over allocated that the Dryden Ski Hill and trails are targeted for clear cutting every FMP.

As a natural heritage consultant and avid user of mature forest trails, I have been contacted by many people trying to keep their hiking trails on Crown land from being clear cut. There is a real need for mature forest to provide healthy non-motorized forest based activities near our communities for all ages. Only 8% of Crown forest is protected from logging and mining in the Dryden District and most likely Kenora, Sioux Lookout and Fort Frances. Atikokan has Quetico Park.We need to move towards 17% protection as stated by our federal government by the end of 2020.

Drive down any forestry road in the Dryden District and you will see clear cut after clear cut. The first nations elder from Eagle Lake complained about the lack of mature forest on Hwy 502 ( Dryden to Fort Frances). A Baptist pastor who is a birder complained to me about the lack of forest on the North Road that goes past the Dryden Ski Hill. I am dismayed by the level of harvesting on the Century Road/Bear Narrows to Barren Brook. I have a 32 km Bird Studies Canada Nocturnal Owl Survey Route from Century Road to past the Barren Brook bridge. I have given up 2 owl survey routes north of the Hwy 17 because the owl habitat became too depleted as a result of too many clear cuts. I am hearing many complaints from nature enthusiasts about the lack of mature forest in the Dryden District.

Perhaps some areas of Ontario Crown forest have an abundance of mature trees due to mill closures but that is not the case here. It is probably the case of some influential contractors in the Dryden District who are griping that their harvest has been reduced. It should have been reduced ten years ago.

Policy barriers to accessing wood will be removed
Reducing regulatory burdens for industry to access wood

The two above proposals I fear will go against the Crown Forest Sustainability Act. Many policies and regulations are in place to ensure that our boreal forest ecosystems remain healthy and the wildlife populations who inhabit the boreal forest remain healthy. Our first priority should be to keep our Crown forests wild. They are not and shouldn't be regarded as provincial tree farms. The species on the Ontario Species at Risk list are on the list due to human activities and need protection beyond the Forest Management Plans. Healthy wild forests contribute so much to our climate and human health.

Increasing forest growth and use of available wood supply
Boosting investments in intensive forest management activities

Again our Ontario Crown boreal forest should not be viewed as a tree farm. Trees grow slowly in the north . This is not the equator. I have heard comments from individuals who have worked in the forest industry and a first nations elder describe the second growth forest seen on many of the Dryden District forestry roads as scrub forest compared to a fire origin forest that has self thinned over decades to 100 years old as a real forest. Herbicide use and mechanical thinning might allow a volume of small diameter trees to be harvested at 50 years of age but it isn't a healthy diverse forest ecosystem. Growing hybrid poplar trees on private land failed miserably. Mono cultures often become full of insect pests and disease and then more toxic chemical sprays are used.

Making strategic investments in Forest Access Roads

There are too many forestry roads being paid for by Ontario taxpayers. These primary forestry roads are often in better shape than our rural roads. Take the Townline Road in Machin, Dryden District for example. Townline Road serves many Eagle Lake residents and several Tourist lodges and yet it was full of pot holes while primary forestry roads are constantly graveled and graded for high speed trucks carrying wood chips. Taxpayers shouldn't be subsidizing forestry roads. Taxpayers pay for education, health, transportation, recreation etc. Ontario is subsidizing the forest industry. It should pay its own way. The Ontario Government is causing too much productive Crown forest to be lost to roads and industrial forest chipping landings. Forestry road building and maintenance has become a business, which is funded by Ontario taxpayers. This must be stopped. As a result too many forestry roads have been built. Too many clear cuts and too much road access (hunters on ATVS and trucks ) has caused a serious decline in the Dryden and Kenora area moose populations. We want to return to healthy moose populations.

The use of automated trucks on forestry roads

This is preposterous! Anyone that would suggest this has never been a tourist , hunter, bird watcher, berry gatherer or fisher in Northwestern Ontario. This won't be tolerated. We have enough truck drivers in Northwestern Ontario but perhaps not for the crazy intensified forestry this draft is proposing. On one hand this document is stating the goal is to create employment. I think it is all about revenue for Toronto, corporations and a few local contractors.

There is no mention of tourism in the Forest Strategy draft. It is all about harvesting our forests and wood products. Northwestern Ontario should join Manitoba. This an important tourism area. More and more Manitobans are buying property here because of our lakes and forests. Americans have been travelling here in great numbers for several generations. And most importantly our First Nations and many residents like me have a spiritual connection to a wild healthy old forest. We need to grow our tourism opportunities. Our tourism is forest based. As more and more people on our planet live in crowded urban centres, our lakes and boreal forest will bring more revenue than from the forest industry. Stop listening to the forest industry lobbyists. We need to diversify our economy.