End old‑growth logging in Algonquin Provincial Park

A whopping 65 per cent of Algonquin Provincial Park does not meet federal and international definitions of ‘protected’ nature. We can change this.

How can you change this?

Tell the Ontario government to phase out logging and fully protect Algonquin Park, starting with old-growth forests. Your email will go to the Minister of Forestry, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Algonquin Forest Authority. Use the points to consider below but don't leave the box empty or a blank letter will deliver!

Why this matters

This is the two-thirds that is still open to commercial logging. In addition, over 5,000 km of logging roads dissect and degrade Algonquin’s ecosystems and impact wildlife along with the gravel mining used to build them. This is unacceptable for Ontario’s first and most popular park.

Points to consider for your letter:

Feel free to cut and paste the points below in your letter
Do not leave the box empty or your email will be blank!

  • I am writing to demand the 88-hectare Brain Lake old growth forest be immediately removed from logging allocation in the 10-year Forest Management Plan for Algonquin Provincial Park, and that all other identified and potential old-growth sites and roadless areas be moved into protected areas within the next 5 years. 
  • I recently learned that the Brain Lake old growth forest was documented by ecologist Mike Henry in a report submitted to the Algonquin Forest Authority. I urge you to do the right thing and protect all remaining old growth forests in Algonquin Park from logging. 
  • Old growth forests are rare and have conservation values that surpass any economic gain from commercial logging. They store and sequester more carbon than younger forests, provide unique habitat for biodiversity, as well as education and research opportunities.
  • Commercial logging in Algonquin Park needs to be re-evaluated. Ontario’s most renowned park is valued as a place for people to connect with nature and a refuge for biodiversity. It should enjoy the same protections as all other parks where logging and mining is banned. 
  • Management plans for Ontario parks are meant to be updated every 20 years. Algonquin’s was last reviewed in 1998, meaning it’s over five years overdue. It’s time to open the park management plan and initiate a full assessment of logging’s impact on the ecological health of the park as called for by Ontario’s auditor general in 2020.
  • Overcrowding of parks has become an increasing problem as more people are seeking solace and recreation in nature. Phasing out logging from Algonquin would open up more areas for low-impact hiking and camping. 
  • Algonquin is on the treaty territory of multiple Algonquin Nations. A new direction for ecological integrity in the park should prioritize land-based reconciliation and Indigenous ecological knowledge.
Points to consider for your letter:

Feel free to cut and paste the points below in your letter
Do not leave the box empty or your email will be blank!

  • I am writing to demand the 88-hectare Brain Lake old growth forest be immediately removed from logging allocation in the 10-year Forest Management Plan for Algonquin Provincial Park, and that all other identified and potential old-growth sites and roadless areas be moved into protected areas within the next 5 years. 
  • I recently learned that the Brain Lake old growth forest was documented by ecologist Mike Henry in a report submitted to the Algonquin Forest Authority. I urge you to do the right thing and protect all remaining old growth forests in Algonquin Park from logging. 
  • Old growth forests are rare and have conservation values that surpass any economic gain from commercial logging. They store and sequester more carbon than younger forests, provide unique habitat for biodiversity, as well as education and research opportunities.
  • Commercial logging in Algonquin Park needs to be re-evaluated. Ontario’s most renowned park is valued as a place for people to connect with nature and a refuge for biodiversity. It should enjoy the same protections as all other parks where logging and mining is banned. 
  • Management plans for Ontario parks are meant to be updated every 20 years. Algonquin’s was last reviewed in 1998, meaning it’s over five years overdue. It’s time to open the park management plan and initiate a full assessment of logging’s impact on the ecological health of the park as called for by Ontario’s auditor general in 2020.
  • Overcrowding of parks has become an increasing problem as more people are seeking solace and recreation in nature. Phasing out logging from Algonquin would open up more areas for low-impact hiking and camping. 
  • Algonquin is on the treaty territory of multiple Algonquin Nations. A new direction for ecological integrity in the park should prioritize land-based reconciliation and Indigenous ecological knowledge.