Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources adds forestry to its title

The head of a forestry sector advocate says she's pleased a ministry has a new name.

The Ministry of Natural Resources is now the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

The name change happened in the last cabinet shuffle following the June 12 election.

Jamie Lim with the Ontario Forest Industries Association said she believes the name change shows the government is paying more attention to forestry.

"The Ring of Wood is huge, she said.

And it is a renewable resource managed so well in Ontario. We only harvest about 0.5 per cent of Ontario's trees annually and, for every tree that's harvested in Ontario, three take root."

Lim said she is looking forward to working with the new minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, northwestern Ontario MPP Bill Mauro.

Mauro noted adding the word forestry is not an addition of responsibility, but simply a title change.

"Of course, forestry's been in MNR for most of the last significant period of time, he said.

I think it's just a way for the premier to highlight the importance of forestry, certainly to northerners I think and the fact that as a government, we take it very seriously."