“The protection of wildlife has become an almost non-existant part of the MNRF mandate”
To the Expositor:
I could not agree more with Mr. Lewis’ comments (‘Thanks for doing nothing to save the starving deer MNRF,’ April 3, page 4) regarding a total disregard for our precious wildlife by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF). In recent times they have ignored calls from the public regarding moose, standing for days near a well-travelled road in obvious distress in the Sudbury area. They never even showed up for the first poor creature which was finally humanely dispatched by an OPP officer near Noelville. The second stood near another road, and finally MNRF allegedly sent a “wildlife biologist” who pronounced that everything was fine. It is doubtful this “biologist” even got out of their warm vehicle to make this miraculous diagnosis from a distance. The poor creature finally died where it stood.
It does not surprise me that MNRF has shown no interest in assisting Manitoulin residents in efforts to help starving deer herds. MNRF seems only interested in any activity that permits them to write a citation which will result in a fine or, as is the popular perception, collecting revenue for the province. The protection of wildlife has become an almost non-existent part of MNRF mandate, giving way to issuing fines, collecting logging stumping fees and pit licence revenue. Wildlife does not pay taxes or fines so they no longer matter. MNRF has become a group of uniformed tax collectors, with the one and only exception being those members who battle forest fires. Even letters to the Minister and our own MLA bring nothing but some rhetorical almost form letter-like response, offering no explanation for their total neglect of our wildlife. I would still like to know why any but the fire service of MNRF even exists anymore.
This is shameful, and thank heaven for those caring people on Manitoulin Island who give their time and labour to help starving creatures without the assistance from those who are paid to be responsible but refuse to earn the pay.
Sincerely,
Keith H. Moyer
Elliot Lake
