An aggregate company from Thornhill wants to build a granite mine in newly established Mellon Lake Conservation Reserve. They are currently undertaking bulk sampling -- cutting and removing blocks of granite the size of a pickup truck -- under a permit issued March 23, 2000 by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (MNDM). Help save this new protected area from mining!

An Application for Review was filed today with Ontario's Environmental Commissioner by the Federation of Ontario Naturalists, Wildlands League and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), No Quarry at Mellon Lake (NQ@ML) and Sierra Legal Defence Fund (SLDF). It asks the Minister of Natural Resources John Snobelen to prohibit a mine from going ahead in the Mellon Lake Conservation Reserve. More details . . .

The Ministry of Natural Resources has recently released proposed new guidelines for clearcutting. There are many positive elements in these proposed rules, which could help mitigate the impact of clearcutting on our forests. Other elements, especially the idea of combining clearcuts in areas as large as 10,000 hectares in all forest types, are more problematic. The public comment period has now started -- take a look at what MNR is proposing for our forests and have your say!

ISSUE UPDATE:
Minister of Natural Resources suggests public consultations on hunting in wilderness parks

The Partnership for Public Lands has been quite concerned about information suggesting that the Ministry of Natural Resources is actively considering opening Ontario's wilderness-class parks to sport hunting. Right now, parks like Killarney, Quetico, Woodland Caribou, and Wabakimi are (together with provincial nature reserves) the only parts of our park system that are strictly off-limits to sport hunting. These parks are the jewels of the system -- areas big enough for natural processes to hold sway.

All three Partnership groups have made it clear to Minister of Natural Resources John Snobelen that we do not believe these parks should be opened to sport hunting. We think the official mandate for wilderness parks says it best -- wilderness parks are meant to be "substantial areas where the forces of nature are permitted to function freely and where visitors travel by non-mechanised means and experience expansive solitude, challenge and personal integration with nature."

Recently, Partnership representatives met with Minister Snobelen to discuss the need for wide public consultation on any proposal to introduce sport hunting in wilderness parks. On May 29th, the Minister John Snobelen confirmed that he shared our view that wide public hearings are needed before any further steps are taken.

Make sure your voice is heard on this issue! Watch this page for consultation details or subscribe to the Partnership's e-mail alert service today!

Text of Partnership letter to Hon. John Snobelen re. public consultations.

Text of the Minister's reply

 Ontario's wilderness is unique. It is the legacy of thousands of years of harmonious coexistence of plants, animals, land and water. It contains the world's largest remaining stands of old-growth red and white pine, huge tracts of boreal forests that are home to a multitude of species, forests large enough to combat global warming by absorbing significant amounts of carbon dioxide, pristine lakes and forests containing fish and trees with gene pools undisturbed by humans, places where large carnivores can still thrive and nesting bird habitat as important as any in the tropics. . . and it belongs to you. Help protect it for its own sake and ours.

THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD DO
Write, fax, phone or e-mail your MPP, Minister of Natural Resources John Snobelen and Premier Mike Harris (click here for a sample letter to Harris). Congratulate them on acting to double the parks system, but remind them that there is still work to be done:

• we must increase protection to 15-20% to have an ecologically sound system of protected areas
• we must keep parks and protected areas off-limits to mining, logging and hydro dams
• we should not open all parks to hunting

by e-mail
Premier Mike Harris webprem@gov.on.ca
Hon. John Snobelen john_snobelen@ontla.ola .org

by mail
Premier Mike Harris, Legislative Building, Queen's Park Cres., Toronto, Ont., M7A 1W3
Hon. John Snobelen, Minister of Natural Resources,6th Floor, Whitney Block, 99 Wellesley St. W., Toronto, Ont., M7A 1W3.
If you don't know the name or address of your MPP, contact http://www.ontla.on.ca/members/profileindex.htm

by fax
Mike Harris (416) 325-3745
John Snobelen (416) 314-2216

by phone
Mike Harris (416) 325-1941
John Snobelen (416) 314-2301

OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO
1) Let the forestry and mining industries know that protecing wilderness is good for business.

2) The forestry industry needs to know that we as citizens and consumers want to deal with companies that are committed to wilderness protection and sustainable resource use. Tell them that you will continue to support their efforts to work with government and the conservation community to protect 15-20% of Northern Ontario. As well, contact the Ontario Mining Association to remind them of the promises that they made by signing a commitment to protected areas in the Whitehorse Mining Initiative. Tell them mines don't belong in parks!

Also write Northern Development and Mines Minister Tim Hudak and stress that his ministry should focus on updating Ontario's 19th- century open-access mining laws instead of trying to open parks to mineral exploration. Point out that our parks system is an incredibly valuable asset that you don't want to see traded for mining speculation.

Contact Information:
Hon. Tim Hudak
Minister of Northern Development and Mines
Room 5630, Whitney Block
99 Wellesley St. W.
Toronto, Ont.
M7A 1W3
Fax: (416) 327-0665
E-mail: ontpc@ontla.ola.org

3) Distribute information about what has been achieved and what still needs to be done for wilderness protection in your community. Help us get the word out. Contact us if you can distribute copies of Lands for Life materials to your friends, family, neighbours or community. Check out the materials available by clicking here.

4) Write a letter to the editor or an opinion (op-ed) piece for your local paper. Emphasize the importance of protecting 15-20% of the Lands for Life area, including roadless areas, old-growth forests and wetlands. Point out that 12% is a beginning, not the end. We have lots of background information, contact us if you'd like to receive some.

5)Volunteer to help. Every person makes a difference in helping us protect our public lands. Contact us for more information.

6) Add your name to our e-mail bulletins list. The Lands for Life process continues to make important decisions about Ontario's wild places – stay informed!

To add your name to your "Lands for Life" information list, do one of the following:
You can add your name automatically by typing subscribe landsforlife-l in the body of this e-mail message or fill out and send the form below.

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