MNR's Provincial Parks Policy Implementation: A Summary, The Outfitter, July 1991, Nature and Outdoor Tourism Ontario

Originally Published in the July 1991 issue of The Outfitter Magazine.

In May 1988 the provincial government announced its new parks policy. The policy includes increased protection for wilderness and nature reserve parks and adds new parks to the provincial system.

The parks system increased by 53 new parks in May 1989 to a total of 270 provincial parks. Within the system there are six classes of parks: wilderness, nature reserve, historical, natural environment, waterway and recreation.

In all classes of parks in the provincial system, the parks policy itself prohibits mining activity, commercial hydroelectric development and logging (except in Algonquin and Lake Superior parks where logging is permitted to continue). In addition, the policy eliminates, through a transition period, commercial trapping, commercial wild rice harvesting and most commercial fishing.

Under the new policy there are some changes for parks users. In the interest of fairness, an implementation schedule has been developed which includes a transition period for changes.

The implementation schedule emphasizes the importance of park management planning as the key mechanism for encouraging broad public consultation in developing the pattern of uses, facilities and services for parks.

The principles for management planning safeguard the integrity of a system that protects natural and cultural heritage features and ensures that a variety of outdoor experiences are available to the public.

Management planning involves the public by providing opportunities to review and comment on information developed at several stages in the process. The public reviews background information prepared by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) on a park. Then MNR provides issues and policy options on protection, development and use of resources in parks for public commitment.

If outfitters have any concerns with the regulations and/or permitted uses in any specific park, they should be brought up with the relevant MNR District office. Make sure that you are also involved in the park management planning process for the specific park to ensure that your concerns are addressed.

At the end of this public consultation process the ministry prepared and approved plan for a park. This management plan is reviewed periodically or after 10 years, affording another opportunity for public involvement.

The ministry uses a variety of techniques including public meetings, open houses, drop-in information centres, tabloid publications, and other means for seeking public input into management plans.

The following sections outline the transition period for changes and the role of park management planning in the process.

ANGLING

The Ministry policy on sport fishing in provincial parks has not changed.
Angling continues to be permitted in all classes of parks except where fish sanctuaries are established.

HUNTING

In all wilderness and nature reserve parks hunting is not allowed, (effective January 1, 1989).
In all wilderness or nature reserve zones within waterway, natural environment, historical and recreation parks, hunting is not allowed (effective January 1, 1989).
Hunting continues in parks legally established before 1983 where permitted by regulation in selected parks, except in wilderness and nature reserve parks. This policy on hunting in waterway, natural environment, historical and recreation parks may change on a case-by-case basis when park management plans are established or reviewed.
In waterway, natural environment, historical and recreation parks, hunting will continue by regulation in selected parks created since 1983 until decisions are made during the park management planning process.
In proposed new waterway, natural environment, historical and recreation parks hunting will be allowed by regulation in selected parks, until decisions are made during park management planning.

HUNT CAMPS

In this context, hunt camps generally refer to private camps, or commercial hunt camps owned and operated by status Indians.
In all provincial parks the policy calls for hunt camps to be phased out of parks. Except for wilderness and nature reserve parks, hunt camps will be allowed to remain until park management plans are established or reviewed.
A transition period for changes to hunt camps is outlined below:
- in wilderness and nature reserve pars, hunt camps will be phased out beginning January 1, 1989.
- in waterway, natural environments, historical and recreation parks, where hunting is not permitted through a park management plan, hunt camps will be phased out within one year after hunting is no longer permitted by regulation.
- in waterway, natural environment, historical and recreation parks where hunting is permitted in a park management plan, existing hunt camps will be phased out at the end of 21 years, beginning January 1, 1989.

COMMERCIAL FISHING AND BAIT FISHING

Commercial fishing and commercial bait fishing will not be permitted within provincial parks, except in lakes that are not wholly contained within provincial park boundaries, and in waterway parks where these activities will be permitted until addressed during park management planning.
The licenses of existing operations in water bodies wholly contained within park boundaries will be phased out within 21 years or when a licensed operator retires or dies, whichever is sooner.
In wilderness parks, tourist operators may continue to be allowed to bait fish in designated water bodies. These operators must be licensed and must supply the bait fish for in-park use by clients.

COMMERCIAL TRAPPING

In all provincial parks, commercial trapping will not be permitted, except by licensed status Indians enjoying treaty rights.
The operations of existing licensed commercial trappers will be phased out within 21 years or when the trapper retires or dies, whichever is sooner.
New traplines will not be established in provincial parks.
Where a trapper’s license lapses, it will not be renewed.
The transfer of existing traplines inside provincial parks will only be allowed between or to status Indians.
Only status Indians are permitted to assist status Indian trappers.

TOURISM AND FLY-IN OPERATORS

In nature reserve parks, tourism operations will not be permitted.
In wilderness parks, existing tourism operations, including existing fly-in operations, will be allowed to continue. Decisions on relocation and expansion of existing operations, and decisions on the development of new operations within a park, will be made when park management plans are prepared or reviewed.
In natural environment, waterway, historical and recreation parks, existing tourism operations, including existing fly-in operations, may be permitted to remain. Decisions to allow these operations to continue, to expand or to relocate within parks, and decisions to allow new development, will be made during park management planning.

MECHANIZED TRAVEL

The new parks policy includes measures that cover mechanized travel in all classes or parks in the system.
In nature reserve parks, motorboats, snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles will be restricted to access zones in the parks. Restrictions will be placed on the size of motors or boats.
In wilderness parks, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles and motorboats will be restricted to many access zones. Tourism operators may be permitted to use motorboats outside access zones, as determined through park management planning. Restrictions will be placed on the size of motors on boats.

COTTAGES

All parks, cottages on leased lots and lots covered by land use permits will be phased out at the end of 21 years, beginning January 1, 1989. In Algonquin and Rondeau provincial parks cottages will be phased out by the year 2017.
The province will acquire cottages in patented land as funds permit and on a willing seller basis.

COMMERCIAL WILD RICE HARVESTING

In all parks, commercial wild rice harvesting will not be permitted, except by status Indians enjoying treaty rights.
The operations of existing licensed commercial wild rice harvesters will be phased out within 21 years or when the harvester retires or dies, whichever is sooner.

MINING

New mining activity, including prospecting, staking claims and the development of mines, will not be permitted in provincial parks.

LOGGING

In all provincial parks, logging is not permitted except in two cases, Logging will continue in Algonquin Park under the Algonquin Forestry Authority and in Lake Superior Park.

HYDROELECTRIC DEVELOPMENT

No new commercial hydroelectric developments will be permitted in any park.

STATUS INDIANS

Status Indians enjoying treaty rights will be permitted to carry on traditional natural resources harvesting activities in accordance with the terms of their treaty, within provincial parks in their treaty areas. Accordingly such Status Indians will be permitted to carry on those activities in certain circumstances. The details of these circumstances will be the subject of further discussion and review.
In wilderness parks, licensed hunters may hunt in the park if they are guests of existing commercial hunt camps in the park that are owned and operated by status Indians. Decisions on relocation and expansion of existing commercial hunt camps, and decisions on the development of new operations within a park, will be made when park management plans are prepared or reviewed.

PARKS SYSTEM

With the addition of 53 new parks in May 1989, Ontario has 270 provincial parks covering 6.3 million hectares. This represents six per cent of the total land and water base of the province.
More than 80 per cent of the lands and waters in the parks system will be in wilderness and nature reserve zones in waterway, natural environment, historical and recreation parks.
The complete system of 270 parks has four historical parks, 31 waterway parks, 76 recreation parks, 67 natural environment parks, eight wilderness parks and 84 nature reserve parks.

Editor’s note: The above information was reprinted from an MNR Fact Sheet (January 1990). Minor modifications/additions have been made to the text. Reprinted with kind permission of the MNR.