Taking a Balanced Approach to Species Protection and Economic Development
Ontario is meeting its legislative requirement by reporting on five years of research, monitoring and assessment to promote the recovery of woodland caribou and support sustainable forest management.
The State of the Woodland Caribou Resource Report shows how caribou are using the landscape, how their habitat is doing today and what factors are most likely to influence sustainable populations in our province.
Ontario is also releasing documents that report on the condition of caribou ranges. Ontario’s new Range Management Policy is designed to address both provincial and federal requirements, and will assist industry in meeting forest certification that is increasingly needed in the North American and European marketplace.
Ontario’s approach is based on the strength of the significant research undertaken by the province.
It is important to recognize that this policy is adaptive and can be revised as new science becomes available. The forestry sector is critical to our province’s economy, especially in Northern Ontario. Our government is committed to ensuring that Ontario’s forestry sector remains competitive.
This policy will not have an immediate impact on the forestry industry as they currently have a regulatory exemption from the Endangered Species Act until 2018. This exemption will allow the Government, industry and other stakeholders to work together on implementation over the next three years.
QUICK FACTS
- Ontario listed forest-dwelling woodland caribou as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2008.
- Ontario has already invested over $11 million to support the Caribou Conservation Plan.
- Researchers have contributed to over 50 different caribou research projects on a broad range of topics, including genetics, where caribou choose to live and areas they avoid, diet and relationships with predators.
- Ontario’s approach will help industry meet federal requirements for caribou protection and meeting sustainability certification demands that are needed in the North American and European marketplaces.
- Since 2009, seven Forest Management Plans have already incorporated new caribou conservation and recovery actions.
