Pembroke — On October 7, 2014, Gord Miller, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, released his ‘Managing New Challenges’2013-2014 Annual Report for submission to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. In the report, Mr. Miller recommends that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry publically commit to the end of commercial logging in Algonquin Provincial Park.
Chair of the County of Renfrew Development and Property Committee, Mayor Bob Sweet stated, “The Commissioner’s report implies that logging could be abolished from the Park within a decade without any jobs being lost. The report does not explicitly state how current forest management negatively impacts ecological integrity or biodiversity, and leans heavily on the argument that it should simply not be allowed in any provincial park. The report makes these recommendations from a position that appears to lack proper consideration of the science, research and social and economical opportunities that currently exist in the practices surrounding wood harvesting activities in the park. The Development and Property Committee has recommended to County Council that they request that the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry not consider the Commissioner’s recommendation to end commercial logging in Algonquin Park.”
County of Renfrew Warden, Peter Emon echoed Chair Sweet’s message with, “Seven communities in Renfrew County have substantial employment related to the forest industry and wood processing facilities that receive approximately 40% of the wood volume from Algonquin Park. Many of these businesses are multi-generational, with the longest running in its 7th generation, and are heavily invested in the sustainability of forestry in Algonquin Park. There are more than 2,700 jobs directly associated with wood harvesting from Algonquin Park with another 8,000 indirect jobs that support these activities. This recommendation, if accepted by the province will be quite harmful to all communities in the county, as the forestry industry’s economic reach extends into our towns as an employer, as a consumer and as a supplier of primary and value-added wood products.”
The Ontario Forest Industries Association has contacted the Office of the Premier of Ontario to ask that the province move to permanently protect sustainable forest management in Algonquin Park at the approved planned harvest volume level of 750,000 m3 (2010-2020 FMP) providing certainty, security and room to grow for the over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs that this renewable natural resource supports. The County of Renfrew supports and echoes this position.
