Long Point Causeway Improvement Project

I recently received an update on the Long Point Causeway Improvement Project. Currently the Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation is looking for ecotourism consultants to help continue their work. This community based project is aiming to revitalize a 3.5 kilometre-long causeway that links the Long Point Peninsula on Lake Erie with mainland southern Ontario.

The first step in this planwas to launch a feasibility study of potential improvements that would reduce wildlife mortality and restore thehydrological connections between Big Creek Marsh and Long Point Inner Bay.

They are now seeking to do an ecotourism study for the region and to develop an economic argument for the benefits that improvements to the causeway could potentialy have on recreational opportunities, rural character and community well being.

A copy of the completed feasibility study can be found on their website at www.longpointcauseway.com . It was released in April 2008. A scientific stdy completed by the Canadian Wildlife Service on road mortality linked to the causeway can also be found on the same website.

Ontario Tourism Competitiveness Study Report Released

The official report Discovering Ontario: A Report on the Future of Tourism has been released. This report is the product of feedback from 501 attendees at public consultations held across the province and over 200 written submissions. The Ontario Ecotourism Society participated in the study by attending the Orillia session and submitting our own written responses to the questions being asked. The questions included:

• The market: what are our best prospects?
• The Product-How can we provide the experience tourists want?
• The People-How can we ensure a well-trained workforce?
• The Tools-What are the appropriate roles for governments?
• The Industry-How can the industry work together to achieve success?

You can learn more about the Competitiveness Study and download a copy of the report with over 20 recommendations by visiting http://www.tourismstudy.ca

Logging in Algonquin Provincial Park

While logging is now banned from all of Ontario's 631 protected areas, only 22% of Algonquin Provincial Park remains protected from logging activities. Algonquin was Ontario's first provincial park and was established in 1893. Classified as a Natural Environment Park, the park is managed for protection, heritage interpretation, recreation, tourism and use of resources. To learn more about the background of Algonquin Provincial Park you can visit the Ministry of Natural Resource information page http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Newsroom/LatestNews/MNR_E004257.html

Currently, the Parks Board and the Algonquin Forest Authority are working jointly and consultations have taken place to determine future protection for Algonquin Provincial Park. Both agencies have come to an agreement that 22 % is not a sufficient level of protection and that this should be raised to 50%. The change in the amount of protected area will not affect the amount of wood supplied from the park.

Currently both organizations are not in agreement on the specific details of which areas should be protected. Final recommendations wil be made to the Minister of Natural Resources.

A campaign is currently in place by CPAWS Wildlands League to urge the minister to immediately increase protection in the park to areas where both organizations are in agreement protection is needed. They are also pushing for a consensus to be reached no later than spring 2009 on the remaining areas to be protected.

To learn more about getting involved in protecting Algonquin Park please visit http://www.wildlandsleague.org/