Case Study No.

35
Logging of Algonquin Provincial Park

Issue/Concern
The two key concerns about the logging of trees in Algonquin
Provincial Park are the consequences of byproducts related with forestry
activities in the Park and the suppression of First Nations communities'
voices. Roads must be developed in the Park due to logging, which destroys
soil qualities and acts as a physical barrier to species in the Algonquin
ecosystem (OPB & AFA, 2009). This can lead to the extinction of species in
the long run owing to unused land. The property is particularly vital to First
Nation populations, who have lived there long before the Park was
established, using it for traditional traditions and to preserve their livelihood
(Euler, 2009). In addition to the problem, aquatic ecosystems play a role in
environmental development. A stable and high-quality water supply is one of
the most significant ecological services provided by forests (Jones et al.,
2009). Water quality can be harmed by the combination of highways and
irresponsible logging, which can lead to floods (Jones et al., 2009).
Furthermore, logging went occurred in what is now Algonquin Provincial Park
even before it was declared as a park (Wilson, 2014). In other words, logging
was a tradition even before any rules governing forestry in the provincial park
were enacted.

Opinion
Trees are seen to be a stress reliever because they are green, and
green is thought to be pleasing to the eyes. They are also thought to be
calming. Parks, in other hand, have also become a children's playground, a
meeting area, and a location for hangouts and dates. When these two
elements are combined, a visit to a park will be memorable and enjoyable.
Parks without trees, on the other hand, are far more depressing than any
other place we can visit. Because a park can be the source of any joy, we
cannot remove or cut down trees in it, even if the residents of the region are
used to it. Perhaps we can log a few trees and replace them with new ones.
We can't log all the trees at once even if we have a reason. Even the reason
was to build a road, people would not approve of the action of taking down
trees and would be pointless. The park also has sustainable development in
terms of biodiversity, ecosystem condition and productivity, soil and water,
contribution to global ecological cycles, benefits to local society, and fulfilling
the social responsibility of sustainable development, all of which will be lost if
we continue to log trees solely for human benefit.

Conclusion
The Algonquin Provincial Park, which was founded in 1893 and is
Ontario's oldest park, is a popular destination for outdoor sports and wildlife
(Wilson, 2014). The park is both ecologically and economically valuable.
Authorities are concerned about the logging of trees, which has an impact on
the park's environment. It's a park that's under the strict supervision of
government authorities. Because it is found at the top of the food chain in its
environment, its extinction would have a greater impact on lower-level species
than the extinction of a lower-level species (Cheever & Simon, 2009). Trees
have been abusively logged in the park for the purpose of road construction
and other purposes.

Recommendation
Many of the suggestions are aimed towards preserving the park's
environment. The New Forest Practices Model (NFPM) advocated permanent
bio-transformation of abandoned logging roads that remained in the park. It's
a quick and easy way to improve the situation and, maybe, reverse some of
the harm. By using more sustainable forestry techniques, the NFPM also
proposes minimizing the development of new logging roads.This entails
enforcing authorized wood production boundaries, as well as expanding
protected areas and prohibiting old-growth forest degradation. We advocate
expanding protected zones while taking into account the impact on the forest
industry's present and future wood supplies.