The recommended wildlife…

The recommended wildlife tree density of 100–150 living poplar and birch will cause undue harm to the hardwood mills in Northwestern Ontario. It appears that the rational for this change is to address areas where there is the inability to market poplar and birch. Addressing regional market issues with Ontario's Stand and Site guide is an inappropriate use of this tool.

I recommend:

- Removing the hardwood wildlife tree maximum and allowing hardwood and conifer strategies to be managed at the regional and district level.
- If the above recommendation is intolerable, restrict the application of the 100–150 trees per hectare guideline to regions where there is no viable market for poplar and white birch.
- Clearly state in the Stand and Site Guide that this recommendation should only be implemented in market-absent situations and require approval from affected mills before applying the guideline.
- Include a maximum conifer wildlife tree density to address conifer-absent markets. Particularly in regions like Northwestern Ontario where market conditions have changed due to mill closures, such as the Ear Falls and Ignace sawmills.