• Open Letter

COALITION FOR PUTTING ONTARIO’S WOOD BACK TO WORK!

Concerned Businesses, Municipalities and Citizens – Statement of Positions on MNDMF’s new Proposed Framework to Modernize Ontario’s Forest Tenure and Pricing System

We, the undersigned, representing the forest sector (big, small, traditional and new), northern and rural communities, and engaged members of the public support the following Ontario government initiatives and encourage the government to complete these in a timely fashion:

• Provincial Wood Supply Competitive Process (Stage II) (PWSCP) should be completed by August 31, 2010.
• Continued movement towards Co-operative/Shareholder Sustainable Forest Licenses (SFLs) which provide greater inclusion of all stakeholders as well as ensure that Crown Timber is delivered “to the right mill, at the right price and at the right time” for industry.

Completion of these two initiatives will put Ontario’s wood back to work, create greater community stability, provide more business certainty, maintain and attract new forest sector investment and keep people working in Ontario.

We, however, do not support the proposed MNDMF tenure reform framework, A Proposed Framework to Modernize Ontario’s Forest Tenure and Pricing System, in any way and request that the government defer any further action on this initiative for at least three years while the PWSCP and the move to Co-operative/Shareholder SFLs are completed.

Minister Gravelle has stated publicly that the primary MNDMF objective is to sell the ‘right wood’ to the ‘right mill’ at the ‘right price’. This objective can be achieved through the completion of the PWSCP and the continued move to Co-operative/Shareholder SFLs.

Let’s complete the Wood Supply Competition. Let’s protect existing and new Crown wood supply commitments that are vital for business certainty. Let’s complete the move to Co-operative/Shareholder SFLs.  Let’s really put Ontario’s wood back to work. By working together, we can maximize the full potential of Ontario’s renewable forest sector.