NOSCP has concerns about the MNR's direction

Northern Ontario Sustainable Communities Partnership
News Release

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On February 28th 2007 a workshop put on by Forest Renewal Coop in Thunder Bay called “Co-op Sustainable Forest Licenses: Are they the Future of Forest Management In Ontario?” provided valuable insight into the significant changes proposed by the Ministry of Natural Resources for the provincial forest tenure (timber licensing) system. Members of the new initiative Northern Ontario Sustainable Communities Partnership (NOSCP) have serious concerns about the direction MNR is moving in this realm. NOSCP is an inclusive group of community (councillors, EDCs) and First Nation representatives, academics, NGOs, and members of the general public who are interested in sustainable forestry and communities in northern Ontario. NOSCP has two priorities, the promotion of sustainable community bioeconomic development and the implementation of tenure and governance systems in Northern Ontario that will best support communities of all types and in all locations throughout the region.

Presentations at the workshop indicated that while some benefits appear to be associated with the co-op license approach, there are far many more concerns. Benefits will include enhanced consultation with First Nations and a defined role for small to medium forestry businesses (logging contractors and subcontractors) in forest licenses thereby allowing them an explicit stake in forest management. However it was made evident that businesses alone will have a share in co-op forest licenses and that there will be no role for communities aside from their current ability to be involved through the forest management public participation process (i.e. Local Citizens Committees). The plan for enhanced consultation with First Nations by MNR was not clarified and First Nations have not yet been consulted meaningful consultation raises the question as to whether co-op licenses will provide First Nations with a role of any real significance.

One presenter clearly stated that “community control of resources is not in the cards” meaning that communities will continue to have a lack of real decision-making power in forest management. This fact is most worrisome to members of NOSCP, and will likely be to the numerous communities throughout the region who have been devastated by the recent forestry crisis with its numerous and ongoing mill closures. Without true decision-making power in forest management, communities will continue to be disempowered to affect real change for their futures to enable the development of true sustainability. The main players will be LARGE mills, along with 3rd party operators, voting will be based on “who pays” and how much (suggesting that the larger businesses will have greater control), and there will be no role for workers or unions. The approach suggests that it will lead to the creation of “super SFLs” through the combination of existing licenses which could subsequently pave the way to the movement of wood to “super-mills”.

This news comes as a great disappointment to the members of NOSCP who had hoped and expected that as a result of the MNR’s commitment to tenure reform we would see a move to greater community control of forests rather than less. In response, NOSCP plans to develop a position paper outlining concerns about the co-op license approach and viable community-based alternatives to better support communities. Once completed, we intend to use it as a basis for dialogue with communities throughout Northern Ontario about alternative community-based tenure options. We will also and present the paper to MNR with recommendations for the suggested alternative direction in forest tenure and governance that we feel is necessary to promote true sustainability in Northern Ontario.

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