Forest and community sustainability – An Ontario perspective

Abstract

Challenges to the sustainability of communities in northern and central Ontario are both ecological and socio-economic in nature. Ecological challenges include persistent impacts such as acid deposition as well as emerging challenges such as the advance of forestry northward and its impact on wildlife populations. Socio-economic challenges of the communities in this region include a declining population level as well as a workforce that is aging. Despite these challenges, northern communities, and forestry planners in particular, have knowledge and experience of value to community planning throughout Ontario. Examples include the fact that foresters and forestry-based communities know how to plan at the landscape ecosystem level, integrate biodiversity conservation and decide on the long-term disposition of land. This knowledge could make a significant contribution to community sustainability in southern Ontario communities, and inadvertently enhance the credibility and influence of forest planning methods and foresters in urban centres. Key words: sustainability, Environmental Commissioner, land use, forest, caribou, ecology, population