On Aug. 2 the Toronto Star ran an article that illogically tried to link the plight of the piping plover and its recent successful breeding at Wasaga Beach to forestry in northern Ontario. This article was laden with misinformation unsubstantiated allegations, and outdated reasoning. I would like to take an opportunity to clarify the situation with some facts.

First, the forest sector of Ontario does not operate on beaches, including Wasaga Beach, and never will.

Secondly, the forest industry has at no time since implementation of the Crown Forest Sustainability Act (CFSA) in 1994, been exempt from its obligations to protect and aid in the recovery of species at risk. In the words of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, "The Crown Forest Sustainability Act requires that forest management plans identify threatened and endangered species as 'featured species' and provide for their protection".

Thirdly, under the CFSA, the forest sector has a proven track record in dealing with species at risk. Allegations that forestry will no longer be required to protect species at risk are becoming tired and absolutely unsubstantiated claims that have everything to do with politics and special interest group fundraising and nothing to do with the environment or reality.

Ontario's world-leading forest management practices have contributed directly to the protection and recovery of many forest dependent species including the bald eagle, red-shouldered hawk, and southern flying squirrel. MNR's habitat guidelines for forest dwelling woodland caribou, applied since 1994 in some forest management units, are recognized as the most progressive caribou guidelines in the country.

In fact, the bald eagle, described in the article as "at the mercy of the forest industry for the next year," has recovered to the point in northern Ontario that it is no longer endangered and no longer requires legal protection under an Endangered Species Act. This is most certainly due in part to the contributions of forestry and forest management guidelines that have effectively ensured the protection of eagle nests and habitat since 1987. The protection of nests was listed by MNR as one of the primary factors in the recovery and downlisting of the bald eagle. The bald eagle guidelines will continue to apply to all our operations despite recovery of the bald eagle and is a testament to the commitment of forest managers to the conservation of birds.  Interestingly, the bald eagle is still endangered in southern Ontario.

With respect to birds and forestry, the recently released Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas shows that, of all habitat types (forests, grassland and agriculture, shrub and early succession, wetland), birds are doing the best in woods and forests.

At a recent Forest Ecosystem Science Co-operative Forest Birds Workshop in Sault Ste. Marie in April, experts from across the country were asked to think about forest management in Ontario and whether it addresses the needs of birds. Among the conclusions - "forest birds are doing well as a group in Ontario".

In the Toronto Star article, Mr. Contenta and Ms. Schultz failed to ask the central question associated with the piping plover and other species at risk - what caused the plover to be endangered in the first place?

The number-one factor influencing species at risk has absolutely nothing to do with forestry or northern Ontario - it is permanent land conversion and development in southern Ontario. In the last three and half years, 16 species in Ontario have been newly identified as threatened or endangered, or have had their species at risk status upgraded to threatened or endangered. Not one of these species is located in northern Ontario. Not one of these species is linked to forest management in Ontario.

Which begs the question, why do special interest groups and their employees continue to point their fingers north? Perhaps it is because they don't want to admit that northern Ontario isn't the issue. Perhaps it's because the bulk of their funds come from well-meaning donors in southern Ontario, and to truly address the issue of species at risk might dampen future fundraising campaigns.

Or, perhaps, it is because they just don't have the facts.

Scott Jackson,
Manager, Forest Policy
Ontario Forest Industries Association