Decommissioning of Roads

Is there a saying that says; If we build roads they will come………

Decommissioning of Roads

ONTARIO; YOURS TO DISCOVER??

OntORA’s values and views on public access;

Eliminate the decommissioning of roads built on public lands after logging operations are completed, as currently obligated under the Forestry Act, including the 378 parks under Lands for Life but excluding Provincial Parks.

Currently the Provincial Government “MNR” spends $ 75 million “taxpayer“ dollars per year to build or maintain  logging roads.  This helps subsidize the logging industry. The saying ”if we build it they will come” does not really apply here, as the MNR has the logging companies put up burms , remove culverts or bridges  to deny access to the taxpayers of Ontario, as soon as they are done logging  in their allotted areas.

One would wonder how much this costs of this work is each and every year?  And in many cases , all these expenses is to protect Remote Tourism Values.  Why is it so important for the MNR to give our tourist a false sense or feeling or remoteness when it does not really exist.

Has the Provincial Government  , Premier Wynn and MNR Minister Orazietti  had to stoop so low as to make  this type of feeble attempt  to fool our high paying  tourist . Really

When Ontario’s Living Legacy is completed 12% of Ontario will be parkland or conservation areas. Almost all of this will come out of Northern Ontario. When you take out private lands, municipal lands,  native owned lands, highways and land generally unacceptable for recreational use there is little left. Further to this MNR has restricted or denied access to numerous roads and over 2000 pristine lakes to protect remote tourists’ values from the taxpayers of Ontario.

Presently there are over 548 parks totaling 6 million hectares, the majority of which are in Northern Ontario.  All wilderness class parks are non- motorized (5 parks, 1.83 million hectares) and the majority of the others have some sort of restrictions.

For many years now MNR have been “CHERRY PICKING” the finest river systems and the best lakes in Ontario and reclassifying them as parks or remote fly-in lakes in order to restrict access to the general public.

Public access  DENIED

Perhaps MNR should change their slogan to:

Ontario—Protect our wilderness from the General Public