Join our fight to protect Ontario’s Northern Forests!

Forests are one of Ontario’s most valuable public resources. They provide important economic and ecological functions such as jobs in the forestry sector, recreation and tourism as well as hunting and fishing opportunities. Forests also give us clean water and air, wildlife habitat, and they absorb carbon. It is crucial that such a valuable resource be managed to ensure its long-term health.

However, Ontario is increasingly looking like the worst jurisdiction in Canada in terms of forest protection. When comparing Ontario forest practices to those in the United States, our public lands lose out. The average clearcut size in the United States is approximately 150 ha. Meanwhile Ontario creates clearcuts the size of 17,000 football fields. Imagine a clearcut 10 km long! Studies have shown that we’re taking out more timber than out forests can sustain, and that if we don’t curb our rate of harvests our forests may be in serious trouble.

Ontario, Canada is home to the majority of the last old-growth white and red pine forests in the world. Cleared for settlements and hi-graded for the shipping industry, less than 1% of all old-growth red and white pine stand in North America today. These pristine forests once stood from Manitoba to the eastern Canadian provinces, and throughout the northeastern United States. Now the remainder exist in stands throughout northern Ontario. These ancient pine forests are home to wolves, black bear (who prefer to raise young at the base of old-growth white pine trees), and pine marten. Rare species like the endangered Eastern Cougar, and bird species associated with old-growth forests such as the pileated woodpecker, depend upon these forests for their survival.  However, Ontario allows companies to harvest old-growth red and white pine, despite its endangered status.

Ontario's untouched northern boreal forests are also under increased forestry pressures, as logging companies move northward. Because our Southern forests have not been well-managed,  forest companies are finding it cheaper to move north instead of harvesting second and third growth forests. This is putting important species, like the threatened woodland caribou, at tremendous risk.  Earthroots works to protect significant and ecologically important stands of old-growth forests from destruction. We believe that all of Ontario’s intact forests must be protected from exploitation. We need your help. Please join us!

Earthroots supports:
•    Lower scale, community-based logging
•    Creation of strong value-added industries
•    Implementation of stand level clearcut mitigation techniques (tree retention, peninsulas, prescribed burning)
•    The physical rehabilitation of logging roads once harvesting is complete
•    Immediate halt to old-growth red and white pine logging
•    Creation of a large network of protected areas in the northern Boreal Forest
•    Promotion of alternative forest-based industries (ecotourism)

Learn more about old-growth

Learn more about clearcutting