Approved Land Use Strategy >
Other Land Use Direction
6.0 OTHER LAND USE DIRECTION
In addition to the land use intent that has been outlined in connection with the four primary objectives of the planning program, there are a number of other MNR programs for which land use direction is necessary to carry out further program planning. This section briefly summarizes the relevant land use intent.
6.1 Crown Land and Water Management6.1.1 Water Management
The Land Use Strategy does not contain a specific designation for water resources management. Water resources are an integral component of all land use areas designations and need to be considered in the management of all areas. Watersheds were considered in the delineation of the boundaries of many protected areas (e.g., Killarney Provincial Park) and in other land use designations (e.g., Algonquin headwaters).
The following water resource management objectives and considerations are relevant to all land use areas and will be considered in subsequent planning and land and water management:
6.1.2 Waterpower
Commercial waterpower development strategies will be developed as part of subsequent planning. MNR will work with the waterpower industry and appropriate government agencies to establish policy and guidelines.
6.1.3 Crown Land Recreation
Some direction for the management of Crown lands in relation to recreational activities is provided in the land use intent that is outlined in Appendix A. Crown land recreation strategies will be developed during subsequent planning. This planning will provide more detailed definition of areas where recreational use will be a significant factor in land use and resource management decisions. The planning will consider areas with existing or potential recreation values such as canoe routes and trail corridors, the Great Lakes coast, water access points, and areas of Crown land camping.
MNR will actively pursue partnerships with other organizations to help plan, fund and manage Crown land recreation.
6.1.4 Recreational Corridors
Development and management of many different types of trails is being undertaken by communities, tourist operators and local volunteer groups, with a reliance on the availability of Crown land as a land base. MNR's major role in trail development will continue to be the provision of appropriate land tenure for trails.
Subsequent planning will recognize canoe routes and snowmobile, hiking and other major recreational trails as special features where Crown land management would help to maintain and enhance both the physical existence of these corridors and the experiences of the users.
MNR will continue to work with trail groups on the application and improvement of Ministry policy related to the establishment of new trails, authorization of existing trails, and the resolution of specific issues.
6.1.5 Roads on Crown Land
The planning area contains a network of roads over Crown land, often constructed for resource management purposes (e.g., forest management), but also to serve private land or recreational access. In recent years, MNR has devolved responsibility for many of these roads to relevant municipalities, road boards, or other users. Subsequent planning will develop management strategies for access roads on Crown land.
Partnerships will continue to be sought to manage existing roads over Crown lands. Where partnerships are not arranged, or if roads are no longer needed for MNR programs, they will either be closed or left to regenerate naturally. No new primary or secondary roads will be constructed on Crown lands without an access road management strategy and partner to manage the road, unless these roads are planned and managed through a resource management planning process (e.g., forest management planning, or fish and wildlife planning).
6.1.6 Crown Land Disposition
The Ministry has continually sought a balance between disposing of Crown lands to contribute to social and economic development, and retaining land that is necessary to achieve provincial goals and objectives. The Strategy does not comprehensively develop policies for Crown land disposition, but it does provide some direction on lands with significant natural heritage, resource or recreation values where disposition should not occur, or should only occur if it does not detrimentally affect the identified values. Outside these areas, disposition may occur in the context of normal Ministry objectives and policies.
Priorities for disposition generally include:
MNR will continue to seek partners for the management of intensively used areas of Crown land. In some cases, these partnerships may result in the issuance of land tenure (e.g., land use permits) in order to facilitate management of specific areas.
6.1.7 Land Acquisition
As part of MNR's Strategic Lands Initiative, a reinvestment plan has been developed that will direct financial resources to the acquisition of significant natural heritage lands, primarily for new or expanded protected areas. Funding partnerships have been negotiated with other agencies and interest groups that will provide additional contributions towards the acquisition of selected lands.
High priority areas for acquisition of lands by MNR and its partners include:
Although there are areas warranting acquisition in all parts of the planning area, the highest priority is assigned to land acquisition in the southern portion of the planning area, as well as areas to the south. Since more of the land here is privately owned, there is a greater need for acquisition due to existing and future land use pressures.
6.1.8 Cottages and Recreation Camps
There are a number of areas in northern and central Ontario where there is a demand for waterfront property suitable for cottages and camps. MNR will make blocks of Crown land available, at market value, in selected areas to either municipalities or the private sector to develop new cottage lots. This will primarily occur in areas where there is limited private land suitable for cottage development. The Strategy identifies some areas with potential for this initiative. Additional areas may be identified through planning at the local level. Cottage development can provide an economic stimulus to nearby communities.
MNR will continue to sell Crown land cottage lots that were created in the past, including areas in the south where there has been a freeze on disposition. These cottage lots will be reviewed to ensure that they are consistent with this Strategy. For example, cottage lots will not be sold in recommended protected areas, Forest Reserves and in some of the Enhanced Management Areas where disposition and/or access road construction would not be consistent with the land use intent. The review will also examine whether the lots meet current environmental requirements.
In areas where the District Land Use Guidelines previously prohibited the sale of Crown land cottage lots, decisions on any new major sales of existing cottage lots will be made after local consultation. Sales of smaller numbers of existing Crown land lots, or single lots, which are located within developed cottage lot subdivisions will occur as part of normal practices.
Recognizing the desire of many Crown land recreational camp permit holders to purchase their sites, the Ministry has initiated a program to offer for sale or lease those sites that meet a series of criteria, including environmental sustainability and consistency with established land use intent. Where sale of the site is not possible for resource management reasons, the camp holders will normally be able to obtain longer term tenure or will continue with existing tenure.
6.1.9 Waste Disposal
In the past, MNR has assumed the quasi-municipal role of providing waste disposal sites in unorganized areas of the province. MNR will continue to divest waste disposal sites to municipalities, or user groups such as cottage associations. Where MNR enters into partnerships, MNR will continue to monitor these sites to ensure that there is adherence to Ministry of the Environment regulations.
6.1.10 Mineral Exploration
Mineral exploration is controlled by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines under the authority of the Mining Act.
6.2 Forest Fire Management
Fire has a significant ecological and economic impact on the forest and people of Ontario. In addition to the core mandates of natural resource and Crown land management, MNR is responsible for ensuring that people and property are adequately protected from undesirable fire impacts. Inherent in Land Use Strategy decisions are assumptions about the extent of fire, the impacts of fire on sustainable use, and the fire protection investment by MNR and forest users.
Fire Management Strategies establish strategic levels of protection, fire management investment, and protection priorities, and are designed to ensure that every fire receives an appropriate response.
New Fire Management Strategies will be drafted for public review that describe how the fire management program will be designed to support the management intent outlined in the Land Use Strategy. This updated strategic direction is required to ensure that:
Fire Management Strategies will reflect the priorities in the Land Use Strategy as well as the direction contained in existing land use documents covering other parts of the province. Setting a strategic level of protection involves balancing the need for fire protection, the investment in fire protection, and the ecological role of fire in the ecosystem. The Fire Management Strategies will assign a higher priority to the protection of forest areas that may be identified in the future as being intensively managed.
Future land use decisions will result in refinements to Fire Management Strategies. Similarly, resource management planning, (e.g., forest management planning or park planning), will provide greater detail on the role of fire and fire management in achieving ecological sustainability. For example, as guidelines for the management of woodland caribou evolve, MNR's fire management program may require new direction regarding issues such as average area burned objectives and the impacts or undesirability of fires of specific sizes within certain land use designations.
Modified: January 31, 2007