Urgent ! Ontario extends hunt camps, trapping in provincial parks

The McGuinty government has introduced a very suspicious policy proposal that stinks of dirty politics. It proposes to extend private hunt camps, trapping, bait harvesting and agricultural leases within Ontario's provincial park system.

Please read!

Changes to Ontario Parks Phase Out Policy
http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/
EBR Registry # 010-8203

Please send comments directly to Premier Dalton McGuinty

Ontario’s Living Legacy established in 1999 expanded the provincial parks system. It also confirmed that private leases within provincial parks must be phased-out within 10 years at the end of December 2009.

It was a hard fought, hard won policy decision aimed to enhance park protection, and enforce provincial parks as public spaces, not to be manipulated by private interests.

On November 2, 2009, less than two months before private leases are schedule to expire, the McGuinty government proposes to extend private and commercial leases indefinitely to the current owner and possibly to their successors.

This proposal, if adopted, will undermine park protection, and extend unlimited private and privileged access to ecologically sensitive provincial parks to only a few individuals at the exclusion of all other Ontario residents.

The timing of the public comment period also undermines any challenge to the policy prior to entering into force.

There are currently 250 private hunt camps, trapping, bait harvesting and agricultural leases within the provincial parks system. This does not include the hundreds of private cottages in Rondeau and Algonquin provincial parks.

There are currently 330 provincial parks in Ontario.

While the Peaceful Parks Coalition (PPC) cannot unequivocally state that this proposal is scandalous, it is dishonest.

Here are the facts:

FALSE: The McGuinty government rationalizes the extension of private leases by stating there are only positive social and economic benefits to Ontario.

TRUE: The McGuinty government has failed to provide upon request any social and/or economic impact statements that would support this rationale. The PPC has had to file an information request through the Freedom of Information Act to retrieve this information.

FALSE: Private Hunt Camps (referred to as ‘recreational camps’ by the McGuinty govt.) belong to nice families whose visits to their private camp for personal recreational enjoyment create an important regional economic stimuli.

TRUE: There are 35 private hunt camps scattered throughout the northern provincial parks including 4 in Wabakimi Wilderness Park, 5 hunt camps in Woodland Caribou Wilderness Park, two in Algonquin Park, 1 hunt camp in Egan Chutes Nature Reserve, 4 in the French River Water Way Park, and others. These 35 individuals and their friends and family are not an economic force that would warrant a policy shift of this magnitude. Instead, these individuals have unlimited privileged and private access to remote and ecologically sensitive protected areas. They politically lobby to undermine the spirit of public spaces for their own personal gain.

FALSE: Trapping and bait harvesting is a regulated activity with the provincial parks system.

TRUE: Ontario Parks and their managers do not regulate or monitor trapping and bait harvesting within their jurisdiction. They have not yet provided upon request basic information regarding the number or length of trap lines within any given provincial park or the size and number of bait blocks.

FALSE: There are no negative ecological impacts.

TRUE: All these activities have the potential to negatively impact provincial parks. Agricultural leases, for example, are primarily situated in provincial parks found in southern Ontario. These parks are very small because the vast majority of land in southern Ontario is privately owned. In some cases, agricultural leases are found in Nature Reserve Class Parks and represent as much as ¼ of the total park area. Agricultural leases vary from retired fields, hay and soy bean fields, pumpkin fields.

Because this proposal stinks of partisan politics and scheduled to take effect by December 2009, we need all comments directed into the Premier’s office. You can send a comment directly to Dalton McGuinty from his website.

While the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is facilitating the policy proposal - please DO NOT direct comments to the Ministry of Natural Resources and/or the Minister of Natural Resources, Donna Cansfield, without also copying the Premier’s office. It is broadly recognized that Minister Cansfield will not be seeking re-election and is widely viewed as a zealot politician.

The Premier’s office will officially review and record all comments and then forward them to the Ministry of Natural Resources on your behalf.

Please act today. Thank You!!