Current status

Forest management activities within an area that includes sections of central and Northern Ontario, between the Quebec and Manitoba borders, are now exempted from the Environmental Assessment Act.

Regulation 334 has been amended to include an exemption for forest management activities covered by Declaration Order MNR-75 under the Environmental Assessment Act.

Regulation 334 is a general regulation under the Environmental Assessment Act, which sets out additional details on how the Act will be applied to certain types of projects.

This can include requiring certain proponents or projects to meet the requirements of the Act or exempting projects from having to meet these requirements.

Get details on the exemption regulation.

Project summary

Proponent

Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Location

Ontario

Type

Forestry

Reference number

14181

Contact

Shannon Gauthier, Environmental Assessment Branch
Email: shannon.gauthier@ontario.ca

Project history

Declaration order: revoked
Date submitted: October 3, 2013
Expiry of public comment period: November 18, 2013
Decision date: August 25, 2015
Amendment date: April 22, 2019
Revocation date: July 1, 2020

Exemption regulation (2020)

As part of environmental assessment modernization efforts, we are exempting by regulation forest management activities within an area that includes sections of central and Northern Ontario, between the Quebec and Manitoba borders, from the Environmental Assessment Act.

View a map of the area where forestry activities are exempted.

The requirements of Declaration Order MNR-75 under the Environmental Assessment Act had been duplicated in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Forest Management Planning Manual, as well as other policies, regulations, manuals, programs, and procedures.

These guiding documents and practices address oversight and protection of the environment in forest management planning activities.

Amendments to Regulation 334 under the Environmental Assessment Act to exempt forest management activities make the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry the primary source of direction for forest management in Ontario.

Learn more on the Environmental Registry of Ontario.

The detailed technical direction for forest management and its planning continue to be applied through the Forest Management Planning Manual regulated under the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, 1994 (CFSA).

Declaration order

Declaration Order MNR-75 under the Environmental Assessment Act has been revoked.