Should Ontario Update Its Forest Biodiversity Protection Rules?
Official title: Revisions to the Forest Management Guide for Conserving Biodiversity at the Stand and Site Scales (the Stand and Site Guide)
Why This Matters
Love fishing for trout in Northern Ontario? These rules affect how lakes are protected from logging. Hunters and wildlife watchers should care too—the guide shapes moose and deer habitat management. If you live in a forestry-dependent community, this affects local jobs and the long-term health of the forests around you.
What Could Change
Loggers could harvest closer to some streams while facing stricter rules around high-risk trout lakes. Bird nest protection zones would shrink for some species but expand for four others. Road-building restrictions in wetlands would tighten, but existing roads could be used more flexibly near some protected areas. Overall, the government expects a modest increase in harvestable forest area.
Key Issues
- Should logging be allowed closer to streams and water features?
- How should bird nest protection zones be sized for different species?
- What new protections are needed for high-risk trout lakes?
- How should climate change be factored into forest management at the stand and site level?
How to Participate
- Review the Draft Revised Stand and Site Guide to understand the proposed changes.
- Check the Change Table for a summary of what's different from the current guide.
- Submit your comments through the consultation page or email jodi.hall@ontario.ca by the deadline.