It is proposed that fallen…

It is proposed that fallen trees or parts of trees would be available for collection up to 10 cubic metres.

- Where would these areas be located?
Anywhere on a Management Unit in Ontario? In areas designated by an approved forest management plan/annual work schedule? In harvest blocks that have been harvested?

- Fallen trees.
During harvest operations, trees without a market (residual trees) that are in the way for road construction or in the way of the harvesting operation are cut and left on site as downed wood debris. The trees that are close enough to roads or other access points are used by existing Personal Fuelwood Users. Some of these residual trees are also in the slash left on site after the operations are completed, and some are used as pile bottoms. How will the ministry enforce or differentiate between live trees that were harvested by the forest industry as part of their operation and live trees that could be harvested by Personal Fuelwood Users? Both trees would look the same except for how they were cut (one cut by a feller buncher and the other cut by a chainsaw). The tree cut by the feller buncher as part of the forestry operation would be available to be collected without authorization; and the tree cut by a chainsaw for personal use would require an Authorization. I feel that this will lead to confusion as most fuelwood users are currently using a mix of fallen trees/parts of trees and live trees when going out to get there personal use firewood. I certainly do. The District office where I live has a minimum size of the fuelwood license that they issue of 7.33 cubic metres of 3 cords. I don't need more than that amount, however under the proposed change, I'll still be required to get that permit in the eventuality that I may harvest one or two or three live trees while out collecting my firewood? But can collect trees that were harvested and left on site post operation because there were no markets or they were used as pile bottoms. How will the ministry differentiate between live trees harvested as part of the operation or that were part of someone's efforts to collect firewood? It would be nice to see a maximum amount of cubic metres that can be collected/harvested without the need to get an authorization to keep this change simple as oppose to complicated.