The policy instruments listed below comprise what is referred to as Ontario’s forest policy and legal framework for the stewardship of Crown forest lands. Collectively, these documents enable the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) to:
- administer and regulate sustainable forest management practices on Crown land through arrangements with its business partners
- organize and manage the various policy directions written down in each document
- ensure that policy directions are implemented through an array of programs and applied at appropriate geographic scales and/or MNR administrative levels across the province to meet the needs of a broad base of business partners and clients on both Crown and private forest lands
- provide a solid foundation for sharing forest stewardship responsibilities with others through a variety of supportive arrangements on both Crown and private lands.
List of Policy Instrument Documents:
Strategic policy
Legislation and regulations
- Ontario’s key forest law and regulations
- Requirements for MNR's forest management class environmental assessment
- Ministry of Natural Resources forest related laws
- Other provincial forest related laws
- Federal forest related laws
Program policy
- Forest Resource Assessment Policy
- Provincial Wood Supply Strategy
- Old Growth Policy for Ontario’s Crown Forests
- Forest Compliance Strategy (located within the Compliance Handbook pages 16 - 22 (PDF))
Operational & administrative policy
Operational:
Manuals approved under the Crown Forest Sustainability Act regulations:
The following list of guides are regularly reviewed and updated. Please go to Ontario's Forest Management Guides for the most current version of the guides and a status summary of the "Guide Review and Consolidation Project".
- Forest Management Guide for Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest Landscapes (Landscape Guide) (Boreal Landscape Guide) (anticipated release - 2012)
- Forest Management Guide for Conserving Biodiversity at the Stand and Site Scales (Stand and Site Guide)
- Management Guidelines for Forestry and Resource-Based Tourism (Tourism Guide)
- Forest Management Guide for Cultural Heritage Values (Cultural Heritage Values Guide)
Silviculture Guides:
- Silvicultural Guide for the Tolerant Hardwood Forest in Ontario
- Silvicultural Guide to Managing for Black Spruce, Jack Pine and Aspen on Boreal Ecosites in Ontario
- Silvicultural Guide to Managing Southern Ontario Forests
- Silviculture Guide for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Conifer Forest in Ontario
- Silviculture Guide to Managing Spruce, Fir, Birch, and Aspen Mixedwoods in Ontario's Boreal Forest
Administrative:
Orders in Council
Directives and procedures
Technical Reports
Technical reports are required to support interpretation, application and/or implementation for the directions in some of the above noted documents.
- Tourism and Forestry Industry Memorandum of Understanding
- Guide to Resource Stewardship Agreements
- Guide to Stewardship Planning for Natural Areas
- Managed Forest Tax Incentive (MFTIP) Program Guide
