Transcript Overview of Ontario’s Forests Chris Walsh Manager, Forest Evaluation & Standards

Overview of Ontario’s
Forests
Chris Walsh
Manager, Forest Evaluation & Standards
March 31, 2009
Overview
• Ontario in perspective
• Ontario’s forests
• State of the Forest
• Vision for the Future
Ontario in perspective
Ontario in perspective
Ontario within North
America
• 5% total area
• 1.5 x size of Texas
Ontario in perspective
Ontario’s forests
• 107.6 million ha
(266 million acres)
• 71 million ha
(66%) forested
• 26.9 million ha of
forest ‘managed’
Ontario’s forests
• 87% public land
- 9.9 million ha parks
and protected areas
Ontario’s forests
Forest
Management
Units
• 46 units
• 240,000 to 1,966,650 ha in size
State of the Forest
•Forest Certification
•Endangered Species
•Climate Change
•Aboriginal Involvement
•Wood Supply
•Forest Industry
Forest Certification
• Ontario recognizes 3 Certification Systems
• In 2008, 85% of Ontario’s Crown managed forest
certified (26.3 million hectares)
Endangered Species
Endangered Species
• Over 180 species at risk in Ontario and
increasing (most in S. Ontario)
• New Endangered Species Act effective
June 2008
– automatic protection of species at risk and
their habitats
– Recovery strategies within specified timelines
– species-specific habitat regulation provision
Climate Change
Climate Change
• OMNR engaged in climate
change work for decades
• Work focused in following
areas:
– Understanding & mitigating
impacts
– Adapting to anticipated
change
• Ontario Government action
plan
Climate Change
Climate Change
Red Lake Blowdown 2008
Climate Change
Sioux Lookout Fire 2006
Aboriginal Involvement
• Aboriginal communities
face significant economic
and social challenges
• Government required to
negotiate for more equal
participation
Wood Supply vs Demand (2008)
Ontario: Harvest Volume
45,000
40,000
'000's cubic metres/year
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
2008 harvest
15,000
10,000
5,000
Year
0
1990-94 1995-99 2000-04 2005-09
2010
2020
2030
2040
2050
2060
2070
Historical (Forecast) Crow n Supply : All
Historical (Actual) Wood Utilization : All
Predicted Wood Supply : All
1999 OFAAB Benchmark : All
2080
2090
Ontario’s Forest Industry
Ontario’s Forest Economy
• 2005 Value of Shipments –
$18.8 billion
• 2005 Value of Exports - $8.4
billion
– USA: 97%
• 2005 Direct Employment
– 84,500
Forest Industry Jobs - Mills
• 146 “Crown wood
consuming” facilities
(>1,000 m3/annually for past 5 years)
• 76 are major consumers
(>25,000 m3/yr for 5 yrs.)
– 29 are closed
temporarily/indefinitely
– 13 closed permanently
– 17 on reduced shifts
– 17 still operating normally
Forest Industry Jobs
Ontario Total Jobs
100,000
95,000
90,000
Total Jobs
85,000
80,000
75,000
70,000
65,000
60,000
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Forest Industry Jobs - Mills
Forest
Dependency by
Community
• StatsCan 2006
data
Vision for the Future
• Healthy forests adapting to and
mitigating climate change
• Protection/restoration of species
at risk (woodland caribou)
• Community economic & social
stability
• Enhanced aboriginal
involvement and benefits
• Healthy investment climate
• Bio-economy investment
captured
• Competitive Forest Industry
END