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Only then will roadless wilderness be protected on our public lands and recognized in land-use plans and forest management plans. Evaluations and criteria for roadless wilderness areas would do well to imitate the approaches already operating in other parts of the world. General targets have already been established by the province, such as the completion of a protected-area system representing the full spectrum of Ontario's natural diversity. Minimum area targets for such protected areas, such as 12 percent of a jurisdiction, are accepted internationally. It has become accepted that recognition of the remote tourism requires roadless wilderness in order to be economically viable. Setting local objectives, targets and uses will be controversial in some areas, of course. But land-use planning for our public lands is only worth doing if the difficult issues are addressed and resolved.
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There was once a general consensus that our forests were big enough to satisfy everyone's needs. This is no longer the case. It is now dawning on many Ontarians that they will have to speak up for the values and principles they want to see govern the use of their public lands. There are other important issues around native land claims and traditional uses. Tourism values may be increasingly in conflict with resource industries. In a recent survey by the Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters, 29 percent of operators surveyed reported significant negative impacts on their businesses because of timber harvesting and road construction. At the same time, these shrinking roadless areas are our last chances for wilderness protection. It is imperative that the roadless wilderness be recognized for what it is: an important ecological and community value that has long been at the core of Ontario's history and heritage. No environmentally sound land-use planning or forest management can occur unless the full spectrum of forest values and social values are considered. For them to succeed, roadless wilderness areas must become a requirement of every forest management plan and every land-use plan for the public lands of Ontario. |
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| Untouched old-growth pine and maple forests at Bark Lake in the Algoma Highlands are now within metres of access roads built to cut them. Photograph by John Riley |
"In wilderness lies the hope of the world. Let children walk with nature,
John Muir, 1838-1914 |