Press Release
Ontario is providing $74 million in 2018 to support the construction and maintenance of community access and forestry roads.
In 2005, the government established the Provincial Forest Access Roads Funding Program as a way to contribute its share of costs to build and maintain these important public access roads in Crown forests.
This program already has invested $806 million since 2005.
“Investing in community access and forestry roads benefits communities across Northern Ontario,” said Municipal Affairs minister Bill Mauro, who also is the MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan.
“By improving and expanding our road network, we are also increasing access for tourism, economic development, fishing, hunting, and camping, as well as enhancing our ability to prepare and respond to emergencies,” he noted.
The forestry industry uses community access and forestry roads for their operations, including harvesting and reforestation on Crown lands.
The province, in partnership with forest companies and local operators, carefully plan and maintain a combination of primary and secondary access roads throughout Ontario.
“Forest roads funding is just one way Ontario is supporting the forestry industry, and this continued partnership with the industry has led to over 20,000 km of forest access roads on Crown lands being constructed, improved, and maintained,” Mauro said.
Ontario’s forest sector contributes $15.3 billion to the economy and supports an estimated 172,000 direct and in-direct jobs in more than 260 communities across the province.
