Algonquin Park Forestry - Sequence of Events

In 1974, the Master Plan for Algonquin Provincial Park was finalized. One of the reasons was considerable public debate around the principle of logging in a provincial park and the logging methods being used. It resulted in zoning of the Park into some areas which allowed logging and others which didn't. This plan also included specific strategies for forest management.

Also in 1974, the AFA (Algonquin Forestry Authority) was established as an "Operational Enterprise" Crown Agency .. commercially-oriented and self-financing. The AFA was established by Bill 155 "An Act to Incorporate the AFA". It's ongoing status was defined by Algonquin Forestry Authority Act, 1990 (amended in 1994, 2002, 2004 and 2006).

In 1983, the Algonquin Park Forestry Agreement was entered into, by which the MNR transferred the responsibility for forest management, silviculture, wood measurement, and maintenance of public access roads to the AFA, with the MNR conducting audits on all AFA activities.

In 1992, the Provincial Parks Planning and Management Policies was finalized by the MNR, unfortunately based on conventions and standards predating the UNCED Rio Declaration of the same year.

In 1992, the UNCED (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development) Rio Declaration .. on Environment and Development, the Statement of Forest Principles, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity came out of "The Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro.

In 1992 the Canadian National Forest Strategy was endorsed at the Seventh National Forest Congress (jointly sponsored by the CCFM and CFA), committing a National Forest Strategy Coalition to oversee its implementation.

By mid-1992, a recession had gripped Ontario and NDP Premier Bob Rae adopted extensive civil-service spending cutbacks to counter a looming provincial deficit. MNR budget and programs were severely impacted, preventing any meaningful response to international initiatives in sustainable forest management.

In 1993, the Second Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe was held in Helsinki/Finland. Its Helsinki Resolutions and General Declaration were European countries' response to many of the forest decisions taken in the UNCED Rio Declaration of the previous year.

In 1994, the Montréal Process began in Geneva, with the first meeting of the Working Group on Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests, in which non-European temperate and boreal countries developed and implemented internationally agreed criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management.

In 1994, the Crown Forest Sustainability Act was passed by Ontario, based on its own 1990-period policies .. rather than on the latest international sustainability initiatives.

In 1995, the Santiago Declaration was endorsed by participants in the Montreal Process .. a comprehensive set of criteria and indicators for forest conservation and sustainable management.

In 1995, the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) released its first framework of SFM criteria and indicators (C&I) for sustainable forest management, initial national-level steps toward actually implementing Canada’s commitments to sustainable forest management.

In 1995, the new Conservative Premier Mike Harris started reducing MNR staff levels and operational budgets even lower than the previous regime.

In 1996, MNR issues the Forest Management Planning Manual which provides direction for the preparation of forest management plans scheduled for renewal prior to March 2007 .. and Conservation Strategy For Old Growth Red and White Pine Ecosystems in Ontario protecting representative areas of old growth red and white pine forests and allowing them to evolve through natural ecological processes.

In 1998, the Algonquin Provincial Park Management Plan is issued .. serving the period 1998 - 2018 and subject to review in 2008.

In 2000, the Forest Management Plan - Algonquin Park Forest Management Unit (2000-2020) is issued, using the "Operational Prescriptions For Areas of Concern" format.

In 2002, the Canadian Standards Association Z809-02 Sustainable Forest Management: Requirements and Guidance is issued .. adopting verbatim, the pre-2002 CCFM SFM criteria (1995/1997/2000) .. themselves consistent with those of the Montréal and Helsinki processes.
Note: Eventual certification under this standard will bring the AFA into compliance with the CCFM (pre-2002), and with the Montréal and Helsinki processes.

In 2003, the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) issued its Revised Framework of Criteria And Indicators

In 2003, the Old Growth Policy for Ontario's Crown Forests and Old Growth Forest Definitions for Ontario were issued by the MNR .. providing directions for the identification and conservation of old growth conditions and values for major tree species or forest communities, ensuring that old growth conditions, values are conserved along with biological diversity at levels that maintain or restore ecological processes.

In 2004, the Forest Management Planning Manual for Ontario's Crown Forests was issued, to be used for those with renewals after March of 2007 .. incorporating more up-to-date "Objectives and Indicators" methodology.

In 2005, the Forest Management Plan - Algonquin Park Forest Management Unit (2005-2025) was renewed, still using the increasingly outdated "Operational Prescriptions For Areas of Concern" format.

In 2005, the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers' Criteria and Indicators of Sustainable Forest Management in Canada: National Status report was issued, detailing Canada's progress toward sustainable forest management using its framework of 6 criteria and 46 indicators.

In 2006, the Algonquin Park Old-Growth Forest Report was issued by the Ancient Forest Exploration & Research group, indicating the incomplete inventory of old growth forest in Algonquin Park and the lack of protection for it (due to MNR's cut-back budgets and reduced programs).