As part of the government’s response to the recommendations from the Minister's Council on Forest Sector Competitiveness, the enhancement of the Forest Resources Inventory program was announced on September 29, 2005. As part of the enhancement the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) assumed full responsibility for production of the Forest Resources Inventory.
The funding for the program will be administered by the Forestry Futures Committee. In addition, a Provincial Forest Inventory Advisory Committee (PFIAC) has been established to advise the MNR on how to ensure the FRI program remains current and effective. The PFIAC may utilize a technical committee to provide input on the design of the program. The MNR retains the overall stewardship role, policy responsibility, scheduling and priority setting, standard setting, quality control and information management requirements for the program.
eFRI Funding Clarification
Funding for the eFRI program does not come from the traditional $0.48/cu m FFT stumpage charge, but has its own funding stream. The eFRI program has a separate $10 million/yr commitment by the government to ensure the success of this program. There is no net increase or decrease in the stumpage fees paid by forest industry nor does it affect the core FFT silviculture program.
