I have a hard time accepting…

I have a hard time accepting the new “Ontario is open for business” slogan and the proposed action items such as Removing Policy Barriers to Accessing Wood. I feel this government is solely concerned about financial growth and big corporation prosperity and a blatant lack of respect/care for the environment.
The forestry industry has made respectful changes in practices that originally placed OUR environment at risk. I feel it is not the governments intentions to keep in place rigours sustainable practises but rather revert back to unsustainable practices while focusing on growth and prosperity.
I have only read this one sentence “Enhancing Private Land HarvestingOntario will consider the use of various tools to encourage greater timber production on private lands” as a comment on private lands within the province. More the 90% of southern Ontario land base is private and much of the forested lands are not managed well or at all. Private lands can/will play a role in the government’s new “vision”. The government of Ontario invested in private lands back in the 80’s planting across the landscape and much of this resource has been wasted due to lack of management. I feel the government must provide the abilities of private landowners to access resources to sell and manage their woodlots. Private landowners are the way of the future, not big business/industry. Big business/industry is solely concerned with their bottom line and worldwide markets, where as, private small-scale individuals make Ontario prosper by keeping products and reassures within the province while respecting the environment wherein they live and work. Private landowner whom own land now could have a revenue source!
At one time, Domtar planted lands with the intention for harvest and how these lands/plantations are in the hands of private owners whom have no intention or know-how to harvest or use them.
I respect the approach the government is taking in sourcing alternative uses for wood products and bi-products. There should be a push to publish product usage on labels to inform Ontarioians…. If this ever comes to realization!
The government should also be looking at alternative housing construction for residential homes utilizing sustainable wood harvest and making it part of the Ontario building code. Cordwood or Stacklog construction has been use for centuries and has become a niche market just like straw bail homes. Cordwood/Stacklog Construction could be utilized in northern and indigenous communities at a low cost instead of processed lumber and expensive shipping. Part of the process of this type of alternative construction utilizes mass timber (timber frame) as part of the construction frame work. Your report talks about mass timber on the larger scale but not the residential scale.
The report talks about global markets but there is very little talk about Ontario’s market and need or Canada’s need for our own products.
The overall feel I get from this report is the same bureaucratic nonsense of analyzing, studying, and providing more reports. Ontario forest industry has been around for a long time and FSC certifications has helped in producing quality sustainable products. The constant need to analyse what has already been analysed is taxing and costly to Ontario. I’m pretty sure all that’s required is to consolidate information that has already been done and move it forward providing the abilities of industry (in your governments view) to do business.