Forest Operations Monitoring & Compliance

Mazinaw – Lanark Forest Inc (MLFI) has the primary responsibility for all forest operations compliance monitoring and reporting on Crown Lands on our Sustainable Forest Licence area. MNR is responsible for auditing and enforcement.

MLFI prepares Forest Compliance plans, conducts inspections, and submits reports as part of their responsibilities under a provincial “Forest Compliance Strategy“. Key statements under the strategy include:

• Compliance is adherence to a set of rules, standards or requirements. The compliance program will be delivered through a broad range of education, encouragement, monitoring, and enforcement efforts that ensure users take appropriate action.
• The goal for the Forest Compliance Strategy is to establish an approach that ensures compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements, which contribute to the sustainable management of Ontario’s Crown Forests.

MLFI conducts over 400 compliance inspections per year as part of their ongoing monitoring responsibilities. The Company employs highly trained “Certified Compliance Inspectors” who conduct the inspections, prepare and submit reports to MNR, and lead a comprehensive training program. The training program includes annual workshop(s), preparation and maintenance of a “Operations Manual”, and individual one on one “tailgate” training sessions with Crown Licensees, operators, and contractors. Operations and associated activities are monitored via ground inspections to ensure they adhere to provincial legislation and regulatory requirements. These activities include: tree marking, harvesting, tree planting, pre commercial tending, site preparation, road and water crossing construction, installation and maintenance.

Direction on Forest Compliance in Ontario can be found at the following: http://www.ontario.ca/page/forest-compliance-handbook

Information on Forest Compliance Inspector Certification Program can be found at: http://www.ontario.ca/page/become-compliance-inspector

Inspection data is recorded in “Forest Operations Information Program (FOIP)”.