Conservation group applauds the Ontario government's
landmark Boreal forest announcement
Toronto - Ontario Nature applauds today's landmark announcement
by the Ontario government to implement measures to protect the province's
northern boreal region. The announcement delivers on important election
promises and will result in the protection of at least 50 percent
of this region from industrial development.
This announcement includes key elements, including: the initiation
of land use planning across the entire region; a threshold of 50
percent of the region to be safeguarded from industrial development;
consultation with First Nations and accommodation of their interests
prior to any new forestry or mining projects proceeding; and the
reform of Ontario's antiquated Mining Act.
"I am thrilled by the Premier's announcement," says Caroline Schultz,
Executive Director of Ontario Nature, Ontario's largest not-for-profit
conservation organization. "This is the biggest protected areas
announcement in the province's history. Once these areas are set
aside, Ontario's protected area will virtually triple."
The size of the area to be protected is approximately 225,000 square
kilometres, which is more than 20 percent of the total land base
of the entire province. Put another way, the protected area will
be roughly the same size as the United Kingdom.
"This decision is unprecedented in Canada," adds Schultz. "The government
has seized a unique opportunity to protect a vast and largely intact
landscape that provides innumerable benefits to local communities
and society at large, clearly demonstrating its dedication to sustaining
the province's natural heritage for generations to come."
Decisions regarding which areas to protect from industrial development
will be based on sound land-use planning across the region. The
land-use planning process will allow for the full involvement of
First Nations communities and consultations with stakeholders. Until
land-use planning has been completed, no new logging or mining projects
will be allowed to proceed in the region.
"We're very pleased that the Premier is putting further industrial
development on hold until all values and interests have been identified
and weighed," says Schultz. "Mineral exploration and development
have been proceeding at an alarming rate in northern Ontario, with
no consideration given to environmental, cultural or health impacts.
The reform of Ontario's antiquated Mining Act represents an important
opportunity to address these shortcomings."
Ontario Nature looks forward to working with this government to
ensure that the minimum 50 percent threshold is met and that it
includes critical habitat for endangered and declining species such
as the woodland caribou, which is dependent on an intact boreal
forest.
Backgrounder
Protection for the boreal region
The Ontario Mining Act was passed in 1873 and enshrines the right
of "free entry." Free entry allows prospectors to access most of
Ontario's land mass and the power to stake claims and undertake
exploration on private and Crown land, without consulting property
owners or the public. Nor are prospectors under any obligation
to consult with First Nations communities and mining projects are
not subjected to overall environmental assessments.
North America's boreal forest is more than 5 million square kilometres
in size and stretches from Newfoundland to Alaska. This vast forest
represents one-quarter of the earth's surviving original forest,
750,000 square kilometres of which are in Ontario. The boreal ecosystem
is a haven for billions of migratory birds and for the continent's
largest populations of winter-adapted mammals: wolves, caribou,
wolverines, lynx and moose.
In 2003, Premier Dalton McGuinty pledged to "institute broad-scale
land-use planning for Ontario's northern boreal forest before any
new major development" is permitted. At present, only 5 percent
of the northern boreal forest is protected in Ontario. Pending
today's announcement, the Premier's election promise will be fulfilled,
and protection will increase significantly.
Ontario Nature is a not-for profit that works to protect and
restore natural habitats through research, education and conservation.
It connects thousands of individuals and communities with nature
through various conservation groups across the province (charitable
registration #10737 8952 RR0001). For more information, visit
www.ontarionature.org.
|
|
