Monitoring Ontario's Forests:
Reporting on Ontario's Forests
Forest management operations in Ontario are monitored and audited to assess compliance and to evaluate progress and results.
Monitoring is conducted for three purposes: compliance, effectiveness and effects.
Forest reporting involves the analysis and reporting of forest management and forest sustainability information to the people of Ontario. Public reporting ensures transparency and accountability for management approaches. It enables the public and other stakeholders to better engage as partners in resource management and decision-making.
Monitoring Ontario’s Forests:
Forest Compliance Monitoring
The forest compliance monitoring program is carried out to ensure MNR and forest industry conduct forest operations according to the legislation and approved plans and to prevent damage to Crown forests. Under this program, the MNR and forest industry inspect and report on access, harvest, renewal and maintenance activities. Forest compliance monitoring is integral to ensuring the sustainable management of Ontario's forests through continued improvement and adaptive management. The Forest Operations Information Program (FOIP) stores information collected through forest compliance monitoring for analysis and reporting to MNR, the forest industry and the public.
Silviculture Effectiveness Monitoring
Renewal activities are required to be reported annually. Renewal efforts are assessed at specific points in time to determine the success of establishing the new forest. These assessments involve a variety of techniques, including field measurements, aerial surveys, and remote sensing.
Forest Health Monitoring
Ontario’s Forest Health Monitoring Program is a partnership between the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and the Canadian Forest Service (CFS).
Through a systematic monitoring program including ground and aerial surveys, field staff record forest health status across Ontario. Identification of forest health issues is assisted through insect and disease surveys. Insect and plant samples are collected in the field and submitted to the Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre for identification.
Forest health updates are provided throughout the field season to client groups including industry, government, public and other resource stakeholders to provide timely information on developing forest health issues.
Independent Forest Audits
The Ministry of Natural Resources communicates information about the management of its forests through reports produced by the Independent Forest Audit (IFA) process. The purpose of these audits is to assess the compliance of forest management activities with the Crown Forest Sustainability Act and the Forest Management Planning process, compare planned versus actual forest management activities, and assess the effectiveness of forest management activities in achieving audit criteria and management objectives. Where applicable, a licensee’s compliance with the terms and conditions of a sustainable forest licence is also assessed.
Finally, the Independent Forest Audit process provides an opportunity to improve Crown forest management in Ontario through adaptive management.
Forest Certification
Forest certification is a tool for forestry organizations to have their forest management practices assessed to maintain access to consumer markets. The forest management practices are independently audited to a forest management standard that has been developed according to certain environmental, economic and social values. These standards are accredited independently of government and forest companies. This process requires applicants to demonstrate they are complying with or progressing towards those certification standards. Forest companies in Ontario are encouraged to seek certification by independent third party organizations.
Reporting on Ontario’s Forests:
Reports on the forest program in Ontario include the following:
Annual Report on Forest Management
This report provides the public with important statistics related to forest management activities in a specific year. The report has been produced since 1995 and includes statistics on:
The report lists forest management plans that are under development or that have been initiated or approved. It describes the results of negotiations with Aboriginal communities and reports MNR progress on scientific research, technical programs, and policy development.
The format and content of the report is similar from year to year. As new reporting requirements are implemented, they are addressed, along with additional statistics and subject matter. Production of this report is a requirement of the Forest Management Class EA.
Forest Resources of Ontario Report
The Forest Resources of Ontario report provides a comprehensive snapshot of the state of Ontario's forests. Statistics such as the area of land and water, forest types, and the distribution of tree species across the province are summarized in the form of tables, charts, and coloured maps. Reports of this kind have been published since the 1920's.
The report now draws on newer, more detailed forest resources inventory (FRI) information, new satellite imagery, and more accurate mapping information that was not previously available.
State of the Forest Report
The Ministry of Natural Resource’s (MNR) mandate is to manage our natural resources in an ecologically sustainable way and to ensure that these resources are available for the enjoyment and use of future generations. In support of this mandate, the MNR reports comprehensively on the state of Ontario’s forest resources every 5 years.
This legally mandated report describes Ontario’s forests and forest management, based on criteria and indicators of sustainable forestry. The indicators are specific to the province of Ontario and include an evaluation of environmental, social, and economic factors. The indicators are based on key forest values that Ontarians hold in order that their forests are sustained and enhanced.
The report also includes an overview of Ontario’s forests regions and their managed forests. The legal and policy requirements for State of the Forest reporting in Ontario are described within the report. The provincial, national and international context for State of the Forest reporting and the evaluation of forest sustainability are also outlined.
State of the Resource Reports
In addition to the reports above, the MNR also occasionally produces reports for specific areas of interest. These reports are produced in a ‘Fact Sheet’ format and are completed when the demand for information is not satisfied through the regular reporting mechanisms outlined above.
Related Reporting Activities - MNR supports Canada's national and international reporting requirements through contributions to:
