ONTARIO FEDERATION OF ANGLERS AND HUNTERS

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1 August 18, 2011 ONTARIO FEDERATION OF ANGLERS AND HUNTERS 1. Maintaining the health of Ontario s eco systems and natural resources requires a robust and effective Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), at a time when biodiversity is increasingly threatened by unenforced regulations, new invasive species, climate change, habitat deregulation, etc. Dedicated MNR staff who manage Crown resources have been stretched to the breaking point. Currently, only 0.76 of every tax dollar, combined, goes to MOE/MNR; only 0.45 of every dollar goes to the MNR alone; and only $3.25 per person across Ontario goes to support our natural resources. Since the early 1990 s there has been a significant and direct reduction in funding for fish and wildlife programs at the MNR. In fact, these cuts have been so severe that the Environmental Commissioner previously noted that the Special Purpose Account (SPA), which is funded from the sale of Outdoor Cards and fishing and hunting licenses, provides two-thirds of the funding for all fish and wildlife programs in Ontario, which is not what was envisioned when the SPA was created. The SPA was intended to supplement the budget for fish and wildlife programs, not replace it. If elected, will your government commit to the restoration of funding to the fish and wildlife programs at the MNR by providing the additional monies from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to bring the funding for fish and wildlife programs back in line with previous levels, where the SPA serves to supplement, not replace, operating revenue? If not, will you at least commit to matching funding between the CRF and SPA? Hunting and fishing is part of Ontario s heritage. It binds communities. It binds generations. And it also binds us with the land. I ve heard from too many anglers and hunters that you re tired of the Ministry of Natural Resources being treated like a second Ministry of the Environment. And we already have one of those. The MNR needs change. A Tim Hudak government will support conservation of wildlife and fish populations. In changebook North, we commit to ensuring that 100% of hunting and fishing license revenue is dedicated to conservation. Those on the frontline of conservation like hunters and anglers will have a real say in how these funds are spent. We will also work to return the MNR to its core mandate of management, protection, and promotion of our natural heritage. 2. Recreational fishing and hunting provides over $3 billion in annual economic activity in Ontario, supports tens of thousands of jobs, and makes a huge contribution to the funding of vital fish and wildlife programs, particularly in an era of government cutbacks.

2 If elected, will your government restore the Fish and Wildlife Branch within the MNR, and ensure active fish and wildlife management is returned as a core business activity of the MNR? The Ministry of Natural Resources under Dalton McGuinty has lost touch with its core mandate. MNR officials have traditionally served as both stewards of the land and a pillar of our economy. In the past, it was an organization that existed to help Ontario citizens utilize and enjoy their natural resources in a sustainable way. Today, the MNR s new duties are to toe the line for Southern Ontario special interest groups. This needs to change. Hunting, fishing, and trapping have been at the heart of our lives in this province since before Canada was founded. A Tim Hudak government will work to return the Ministry of Natural Resources to its core mandate of management and promotion of our natural heritage. 3. Achieving balance between optimal use and protection of Ontario s fish and wildlife resources depends on ongoing monitoring and assessment of populations and harvest, and responsive sciencebased management. Some provincial fisheries, small game and big game surveys have not been done in more than five years. If elected, will your government ensure that a provincial fish and wildlife managers have the up-to-date survey harvest data collection they need to sustain and improve the management of Ontario s valuable fish and wildlife populations? Hunters and anglers are far too often stigmatized as relics of the past by special interest groups and, sadly, some politicians. The fishing and hunting community is responsible for so much of the conservation efforts in Ontario, and is proudly passing on the outdoor traditions that Canadians have enjoyed for generations. In the past, the Ministry of Natural Resources was considered the Ministry to Ontario s outdoorsmen and women. Under a Tim Hudak government, MNR will be focused on managing and promoting Ontario s natural heritage. We will support it by reducing the red tape and bureaucracy created over the last 8 years that only irritates and interferes with Ontario s traditional way of life. We will appoint a Minister responsible for reducing the regulatory burden by a minimum of 30%, and the entire Cabinet will have its pay docked if it misses important regulatory goals. 4. The Endangered Species Act, 2007, gives the politically unaccountable Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO), virtually unlimited and unchallenged authority to assess and place provincial or local populations of fish, birds, mammals, plants, moss, mollusks, lichen or insect species on the Species at Risk list, without regard for the consequences of their 2

3 decisions on Ontario s communities, the economic impacts or even the best interests of the species themselves. If elected, will your government amend the Endangered Species Act to ensure that COSSARO is publicly accountable for its assessments and decisions? Ontario has almost 630 different agencies, boards and commissions. Every one of them will be reviewed to ensure they are providing good value to families. Our process will be straightforward. If it works, leave it alone. If it s broken, fix it. If it cannot justify its existence, it goes. The Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario will be a part of this review. AND: 5. Anglers, hunters, and the general public are being denied access to public lands and waters because of overly restrictive land use planning in parks and on Crown land, a lack of organized recreation planning, and deals with tourist operators and forest companies. Ontario taxpayers have lost 9,300 kilometers of accessible forest roads despite millions of dollars being spent on the construction of access roads on Crown land, and promises by the government that access would not be denied. Access to these lands for residents and nonresidents generates considerable socio-economic benefits. If elected, will your government commit to developing and implementing a provincial Crown Land Access Policy that maintains and enhances fishing and hunting opportunities by providing members of the public with secure access to Crown lands, that avoids special treatment of certain segments of society, and that builds on the commitment to heritage activities enshrined in the Heritage Hunting and Fishing Act? 6. The Provincial Roads Funding Program, administered by the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, is intended to provide multiple resource-use opportunities in Ontario s Crown forests. In many areas of the province, roads are decommissioned immediately following the cessation of forestry operations, foreclosing on benefits that would otherwise be possible. If elected, will your government pledge that specific funds from this program will be allocated to maintaining roads following the close of forest operations to provide benefits associated with multi-use of the public roads? 3

4 Dalton McGuinty s Liberals have made it harder and harder to enjoy Ontario s trails. They seem to want to stop anyone from enjoying Ontario s beauty, for example, by making Crown Land and forestry access roads less accessible for recreational purposes. We will take Ontario down an entirely different path. We will follow our great Ontario trails to more jobs and investment. Over two million people use Ontario trails each year. Motorized and non-motorized trails contribute over $2.5 billion annually to our economy, supporting healthy living, tourism, and creating tens of thousands of jobs throughout the province. We will open our trails for public use. A Tim Hudak government will introduce the Ontario: Yours to Discover Act. This law will free up Ontario s public trails and access roads for outdoor activities. Crown Land is held in stewardship for all of us; we should all have access to those trails. A Tim Hudak government will invest more than $35 billion to pay for new infrastructure much of it in transportation. And we will bring change to give all communities a share of the gas tax to meet their infrastructure needs. This will be a permanent commitment. 7. For 20 years, conservationists have recognized that deer and elk farming is a threat to wild ranging wildlife, and a source of diseases such as Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and tuberculosis. CWED is present in nine states and two provinces. In Ontario, steps have been taken to prevent CWD from entering the province through sources such as wild deer harvested in other jurisdictions, but the main vector or the introduction and spread of the disease, and unregulated game farms, has not been addressed. Escapes of farmed and exotic deer into the wild have already occurred. If elected, will your government commit to fully implementing a regulatory system to ensure that Ontario remains Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) free, including passage of a regulation that would phase out deer and elk farming within five years, with appropriate compensation to operators? We need to remain vigilant to ensure that Chronic Wasting Disease does not proliferate. We will work with hunters, anglers, and the agricultural community to ensure that the appropriate steps are taken to protect public health and safety. 8. Ontario s community-based volunteer fish hatcheries provide 50% of all fish stocked in our lakes and rivers. Despite this, these same volunteer-run hatcheries, many of which have been in existence for over two decades, have been subjected to stringent and financially draining requirements under the Minister of Environment, requiring them to comply with the same provincial water discharge requirements as companies discharging industrial waste under the Section 53, Ontario Water Resources Act, pertaining to sewage 4

5 works and to obtain a Certificate of Approval. These volunteer, nonprofit hatcheries cannot afford to continue to operate under these costly and unnecessary constraints, which in some cases includes the installation of flow meters, which cost thousands of dollars. If elected, will your government immediately move to exempt nonprofit volunteer-run fish hatcheries from the requirement to obtain Certificates of Approval and associated costly discharge fees? Yes. We will eliminate these unnecessary fees to help support a world-class fishery in Ontario. Volunteer-run fish hatcheries in Ontario take pride in knowing they are responsible for protecting the fish population in Ontario s lakes, rivers, and streams. But under Dalton McGuinty these same hatcheries are being lumped in with industrial polluters by the Ministry of the Environment due to the complicated Certificate of Approval process. These volunteer-run fish hatcheries don t release heavy metals or toxins into the water, and yet they are being charged exorbitant fees just the same. 9. Cormorant populations are thriving in all Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence, Kawartha and Rideau systems, Manitoulin Island, Lake Nipissing and surrounding areas, Lake Huron/Georgian Bay, the Algonquin region, Lake of the Woods, and inland waterways north of all the Great Lakes. The rapid and ongoing spread of invasive cormorants is a major threat to fisheries, the environment, nesting areas for other avian species and wildlife habitats. Despite their numbers, cormorants are still protected under provincial conservation regulations. New York State and Michigan have expressed profound disappointment that Ontario has pulled back from previous control methods at a time when cormorant populations are increasing, and Ontario s failure to engage in a multi-jurisdictional management effort on shared water bodies. If elected, will your government immediately move to change the provincial regulations so that cormorants can be better managed in the same ways as other destructive birds, such as crows, starlings and blackbirds? Yes. Working with Ontario s anglers and hunters, we will develop a long-term sustainable plan to address the concerns that Dalton McGuinty fails to even recognize. We re prepared to look at all options to find the best solution to this growing problem. 5

6 10. The current implementation of the Caribou Conservation Plan has significant potential to jeopardize the ecological and socioeconomical sustainability of many northern Ontario communities. In particular, unfocused plans for habitat management and road use management strategies in the boreal forest will reduce Moose productivity, restrict access to socio-economic benefits, and diminish the overall wood supply. If elected, will your government commit to ensuring that the Caribou Conservation Plan is refocused and prioritized so that it does not jeopardize the ecological, economic, and social benefits that the boreal forest can provide to the residents of Ontario? Ontario families want change. We ve heard it everywhere we ve been. The people calling for change the loudest are from the North, and with good reason. Dalton McGuinty s Liberals have in fact done worse than nothing to help Northern families they have actively passed laws that prevent the North from growing and jobs from being created. The Southern Ontario special interests, with their fantasy view of what Northern living really is, have far too much say over decisions that affect actual Northern families. The North needs change. Time and time again, Southern Ontario special interests make decisions on behalf of the North, usually with no consultation and little concern for the outcome. One example is Bill 191, the Far North Act, which turns much of the North into a virtual museum by banning development and killing potential jobs. How did this happen? Dalton McGuinty listened to Southern Ontario special interests and ignored Northern Ontario families. A Tim Hudak government will repeal the Far North Act. We won t cave in to the demands of Southern Ontario environmental groups. Instead, our priority will be creating jobs for every Northern family and creating wealth that stays in the North. 11. The maintenance of healthy fish and wildlife resources in Ontario is threatened by the political expedience of renewable energy projects through the Green Energy and Economy Act. At the same time, there appears to be reluctance on the part of the province to enforce other relevant legislative requirements that are intended to protect fish and wildlife (i.e. Fisheries Act, Ontario Lakes and Rivers improvement Act and the Ontario Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act). If elected, will your government ensure that fish and wildlife values are fully protected and enhanced in the face of the new renewable development in Ontario? Yes. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters has been a strong voice for putting a stop to the planned proliferation of offshore industrial wind farms a call that is shared by the Ontario PC Party. 6

7 12. Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to Ontario s biodiversity. In addition to the ecological impacts, invasive species threaten Ontario s economy and the benefits we derive from our forest and aquatic resources. In fact, leading scientists in the field have determined that it costs billions of dollars each year to address the threat posed by only a few of the worst cases. If elected, in addition to continuing the province s partnership with the OFAH for the provincial Invading Species Awareness Program, will your government commit additional resources to deliver the aquatic and terrestrial invasive species commitments of the province under the Ontario Biodiversity Strategy: This would include: i) preventing the introduction of new invasive species through managing high risk pathways, focusing specifically on shipping (ballast discharge), horticulture, aquarium, and live food fish industries by enhancing capacity to conduct both pathway and species at risk assessments, and developing regulatory tools to prohibit high risk species; and ii) enhancing early detection and rapid response capability of invasive species, including development of a provincial rapid response framework (similar to MNR model for Rabies Response), creating an emergency fund to implement the response when required, and developing the capacity to quarantine or limit activities in infected areas. The Ministry of Natural Resources under Dalton McGuinty has lost touch with its core mandate. MNR officials have traditionally served as both stewards of the land and a pillar of our economy. In the past, it was an organization that existed to help Ontario citizens utilize and enjoy their natural resources in a sustainable way. Today, the MNR s new duties are to toe the line for Southern Ontario special interest groups. This needs to change. Hunting, fishing, and trapping have been at the heart of our lives in this province since before Canada was founded. A Tim Hudak government will work to return the Ministry of Natural Resources to its core mandate of management and promotion of our natural heritage. The OFAH has a well-deserved reputation around Queen s Park as a tireless, trusted, and professional advocate for preserving Ontario s outdoor heritage. Working with Ontario s anglers and hunters, we will develop a long-term sustainable plan to address the concerns that Dalton McGuinty fails to even recognize. We re prepared to look at all options to find the best solution to this growing problem. 7

8 13. In the aftermath of the recent federal election, and the subsequent recommitment by the federal government to scrap the long gun registry, there has been some recent discussion in the media about the potential creation of provincial long gun or firearms registries, should the federal government indeed move forward to scrap the current system. If elected, will your government commit to not creating a provincial long gun or firearms registry, given that the federal government, through the Criminal Code of Canada and the Firearms Act is the authority in this regard, given the potential cost to the taxpayers of Ontario, and given the fact that a provincial registry, at best, would only capture some of the firearms used/owned in Ontario? Under no circumstances will the Ontario PC Party ever bring in a long gun or firearms registry. We are opposed to the federal long-gun registry that harasses law-abiding hunters and farmers and does nothing to keep violent criminals from terrorizing our streets. There is no reason to replace a federal Liberal boondoggle with a provincial boondoggle. Given their support of the federal registry, we are concerned the provincial Liberals or NDP would bring one in. We all remember the struggle over the long gun registry. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters was a strong voice in that debate, standing up for the rights of its members against this costly program that makes it hard for a law-abiding duck hunter or farmer to get a gun while gangs and criminals still get them so easily. We believe the victims of crime and their families deserve to be remembered and deserve to be supported. And we believe that the safety of our families and communities is vital. 8