- Does the MNR provide tree seedlings?
- Can I harvest a Christmas tree on Crown Land?
- Can I harvest trees on Crown land for firewood?
- Can I buy or rent Crown land?
- Is there financial incentive for private landowners to conserve their forests?
- Where can I find a map for the area want to hunt, camp or hike?
- How can I prevent the spread of invasive insects?
- The leaves on my maple are turning brown and dropping off. Why is this happening? Will my trees survive?
- Where can I find maps, aerial photographs and satellite images?
Does the MNR provide tree seedlings?
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) no longer provides tree seedlings for planting.
However, there are private firms that provide seedlings for the purpose of reforestation, planting on private land, municipal and school projects and special occasions (weddings, trade shows, fund raisers etc.). The MNR supported the development of ontariowoodlot.com which is a web site that contains a forest services directory for landowners including information on locating tree nurseries and purchasing trees.
The MNR is also a partner in the Trees Ontario Foundation. The Foundation supports local community based tree planting initiatives and is a good place to contact to see what tree planting options are available in different parts of Ontario.
Ontariowoodlot.com | Trees Ontario Foundation
Can I harvest a Christmas tree on Crown land?
A resident in Ontario is entitled to harvest one Christmas tree per family each year from Crown land north of the French and Mattawa Rivers. We encourage residents to get these trees from areas where active forest management is not occurring. For example, we suggest cutting trees from hydro or highway right-of ways rather than from Crown land forested areas. Also consider a species of lesser commercial value like balsam fir. An OMNR office closest to your location can help you determine a Crown land area that may be best suited to harvest a Christmas tree.
Due to the large amount of privately owned land and the extensive Christmas tree industry in southern Ontario, the opportunity to cut trees from Crown land in that part of Ontario does not apply south of the French and Mattawa Rivers.
Can I harvest trees on Crown land for firewood?
It is illegal to harvest trees from Crown land in Ontario without first obtaining a permit. While it may seem that there are thousands of them on a particular site, it is important not to remove them. Permits can be obtained by contacting an MNR office in nearest to your location.
Can I buy or rent Crown land?
Crown land in Ontario accounts for about 87 per cent of Ontario’s total area.
The Ontario Government sells and rents Crown land in Ontario. In most situations, Crown land rentals or sales are done on a competitive basis so that everyone has an equal opportunity to learn of the properties' availability and submit bids if they are interested. Competitive processes also ensure that the province receives the highest possible return for the use of its land assets.
Public tenders, auctions and draws are some of the approaches that are used.
You can find more information about buying and renting Crown land on the Crown Land Management website.
You can also contact an Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) office in your area.
Some locations may not have Crown land for sale or rent. You may need to contact a local real estate agent or speak directly to local landowners.
Is there a financial incentive for private landowners to conserve their forests?
There is an incentive program to landowners who qualify under the Ontario Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP). Reforested lands qualify for tax relief under this program.
MFTIP is a voluntary program available to landowners who own four hectares or more of forest land, excluding residences, and who agree to prepare and follow a Managed Forest Plan for their property. Under the MFTIP, participating landowners have their property reassessed and classified as Managed Forest and taxed at 25 percent of the municipal tax rate set for residential properties.
Related links:
Ontario Forest Managed Tax Incentive Program
Woodlot Marketplace (Forest Services Directory)
Encouraging Private Forest Stewardship
List of MNR offices in Ontario
Ontario's Tree Seed Facility (custom seed extraction and cone suppliers)
Where can I find a map for the area I want to hunt, camp or hike?
For maps on Crown land contact an MNR office nearest to the area to wish to hunt. Many areas for hunting are on private or county forest, especially southern Ontario. These inquiries should be made to the private landowner or to the county.
If your inquiry is about logging road access, the local MNR office would be the best source for the information you require.
If you are a recreational enthusiast, maps which show hiking trails longer than 20 km can be found on the Ontario Trails Council web site.
How can I prevent the spread of invasive insects?
Invasive insects in Ontario include the Asian long-horned beetle, emerald ash borer, pine shoot beetle and Sirex woodwasp. Discoveries of the Asian long-horned beetle in North America were made by alert, observant citizens who informed the appropriate agencies to manage and control invasive pests. Early detection is crucial to stop invasive insects from becoming established and spreading.
Learn to recognize what the adult beetle and infested trees look like, as well as which host trees the insect targets.
Report signs and symptoms of infested trees to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) by phone, 1 800 442-2342 (toll free), or online at www.inspection.gc.ca, or contact the OMNR at 1 800 667-1940 (toll free), or your local municipal parks or forestry department.
Don’t move infested wood material from the regulated zone to new areas. This includes firewood of all tree species, nursery stock, trees, logs, lumber and wood or bark chips.
Firewood should always be obtained locally and burned on-site.
Property owners within or near an infested area should watch for signs of infestation and keep trees well-watered and fertilized. If you suspect a tree is infested, notify the CFIA. The CFIA will remove infested and potentially infested trees. There is no charge for this service and you may be eligible for compensation.
For more information on forest health issues, contact the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Information Centre at 1-800-667-1940
The leaves on my maple are turning brown and dropping off. Why is this happening? Will my trees survive?
The ministry forest health program is reporting that maple trees and some other hardwoods are turning brown and dropping their leaves, including trees on hilltops and in valleys. The ministry has also received several reports from the public. The phenomenon is widespread across much of the range of maple, and has been recorded by ministry aerial forest health surveys as occurring from Sudbury south to the Midhurst area and east towards Peterborough and on to Kemptville.
The lack of rain, combined with high temperatures, has resulted in leaf scorch: the trees are unable to get moisture to the leaves fast enough to replace what is being lost to evaporation. The waxy cuticle that coats the leaves to help prevent moisture loss was still quite thin at the time when temperatures reached record highs. Hardwoods in Ontario have suffered such damage in the past, but it normally occurs in the hot days of July or August.
It is likely due to a combination of drought, record high temperatures and, in some cases, frost that occurred in May. Warmer temperatures have occurred earlier than normal this spring, and trees produced leaves two to three weeks earlier than usual. Also, frost during the week of May 9 affected the maples and some other hardwood trees whose tender shoots were killed by low temperatures.
The fact that this has happened early in the growing season allows the trees time to produce a new set of leaves. While losing their leaves and using up their starch reserves to produce a second set of leaves will stress the trees, they will usually recover from this event unless there is another stress such as insect defoliation or another drought episode this summer. Aerial view of maple woodlot showing leaf scorch.
Where can I find maps, aerial photographs and satellite images?
A wide variety of information available as maps can be found at various MNR sites.
Here are some of the more popular maps:
Restricted Fire Zones in Ontario
Ontario Forest Fire Regions
Maps and Geographic Information
Rabies Maps
Low Water Maps
Geospatial land information can be found at the Land Information Ontario web site. This site is dedicated to making Ontario's geospatial land information accessible, well-managed, easy to integrate, and affordable by those who need it.
If your inquiry is about maps for areas for hunting, it is suggested that you contact an OMNR office nearest to you. Areas for hunting may be private or county forest especially southern Ontario. If there is Crown land available, a local OMNR office would know. If there is no Crown land available, you should inquire about the county forest. The MNR office may have the maps of the county blocks or at least give you a contact for the county forests.
If your inquire is about logging road access, the local MNR office would be the best source for the information you require.
If you are a recreational enthusiast, maps which show hiking trails longer than 20km can be found on the Ontario Trails Council website.
