Overview of Ontario’s ForestsOverview of Ontario’s Forests

Chris Walsh

Manager, Forest Evaluation & Standards

March 31, 2009

Chris Walsh

Manager, Forest Evaluation & Standards

March 31, 2009

OverviewOverview

• Ontario in perspective

• Ontario’s forests

• State of the Forest

• Vision for the Future

Ontario in perspectiveOntario in perspective

Ontario in perspectiveOntario in perspective

Ontario within North America• 5% total area

• 1.5 x size of Texas

Ontario in perspectiveOntario in perspective

Ontario’s forestsOntario’s forests

• 107.6 million ha (266 million acres)

• 71 million ha (66%) forested

• 26.9 million ha of forest ‘managed’

Ontario’s forestsOntario’s forests

• 87% public land- 9.9 million ha parks

and protected areas

Ontario’s forestsOntario’s forests

Forest Management Units• 46 units

• 240,000 to 1,966,650 ha in size

State of the ForestState of the Forest

•Forest Certification

•Endangered Species

•Climate Change

•Aboriginal Involvement

•Wood Supply

•Forest Industry

Forest CertificationForest Certification

• Ontario recognizes 3 Certification Systems• In 2008, 85% of Ontario’s Crown managed

forest certified (26.3 million hectares)

Endangered SpeciesEndangered Species

Endangered SpeciesEndangered 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 ChangeClimate Change

Climate ChangeClimate 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 ChangeClimate Change

Climate ChangeClimate Change

Red Lake Blowdown 2008Red Lake Blowdown 2008

Climate ChangeClimate Change

Sioux Lookout Fire 2006Sioux Lookout Fire 2006

Aboriginal InvolvementAboriginal Involvement

• Aboriginal communities face significant economic and social challenges

• Government required to negotiate for more equal participation

Ontario: Harvest Volume

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

1990-94 1995-99 2000-04 2005-09 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060 2070 2080 2090Year

'000

's c

ubic

met

res/

year

Historical (Forecast) Crow n Supply : All Historical (Actual) Wood Utilization : All

Predicted Wood Supply : All 1999 OFAAB Benchmark : All

Wood Supply vs Demand (2008)Wood Supply vs Demand (2008)

2008 harvest

Ontario’s Forest IndustryOntario’s Forest Industry

Ontario’s Forest EconomyOntario’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 - MillsForest 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 JobsForest Industry Jobs

Ontario Total Jobs

60,000

65,000

70,000

75,000

80,000

85,000

90,000

95,000

100,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Tota

l Jo

bs

Forest Industry Jobs - MillsForest Industry Jobs - Mills

Forest

Dependency by

Community• StatsCan 2006

data

Vision for the FutureVision 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