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More NEWS RELEASE'S ON OMNR


ROB MCINTOSH

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Take your time and read each one of these post's before making a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 10, 2006

Fish and wildlife enforcement stats to drop sharply for 2006-07, union says

TORONTO – The number of charges and convictions related to fish and wildlife laws is set to drop sharply for 2006-07, says the union representing Ontario's Conservation Officers.

"From 2004-05 to 2005-06, statistics from the Ministry of Natural Resources show an 11 per cent reduction in the number of fish and wildlife charges laid, a 19 per cent reduction in the number of convictions, and a 25 per cent reduction in the amount of fines paid," said Leah Casselman, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. "These numbers are dramatic and shocking, but they are nothing compared to what we will see this year. This year is when the worst cuts to enforcement have taken effect."

For the 2006-07 budget year, the MNR has sharply reduced budget allocations for Conservation Officers for fuel, repairs, cell phone bills, uniforms, meals, and so on.

Cuts to operating budgets have forced Ontario Conservation Officers to ration fuel for their vehicles, Casselman said.

"It's hard to believe, but in most districts Conservation Officers simply don't have the funding to do regular patrols," she said. "This year, our officers have spent more time parked at the office than at any time they can remember.

"They should be out in the field. That's where the violations occur."

NEXT REPORT

McGUINTY'S CUTS TO CONSERVATION OFFICERS THREATENS ENFORCEMENT

Fri, 6 Oct 2006

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QUEEN'S PARK - NDP Natural Resources critic Gilles Bisson says McGuinty Liberal cuts to the operating budgets of conservation officers threatens the enforcement of provincial game laws and opens the door for more illegal poaching of fish and wildlife.

"Cutting the operating expenses of our conservation officers in half is the wrong signal for the McGuinty Liberals to be sending to illegal poachers," said Bisson. "This is further proof of the McGuinty Liberals' lack of support for fish and wildlife management across in Ontario," Bisson added.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) estimates that operating expenses for conservation officers in 2006-07 have been cut compared to the year before.

Further, routine patrols have been eliminated in the North Bay district, which includes Sturgeon Falls and New Liskeard, leaving conservation officers to respond only to public complaints.

"Cutting patrols and failing to properly fund the important work of our conservation officers is wrong. It puts the protection of our northern fish and wildlife resources at risk," said Bisson.

"Everyone except the McGuinty Liberals recognize the important role that conservation officers play in protecting northern fish and wildlife from illegal poaching. The McGuinty Liberals need to immediately restore the operation funding to conservation officers so they can continue to provide this crucial service," stated Bisson.

NEXT RELEASE

Wounded MNR limps into hunting season, too weak to enforce game laws

TORONTO – The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is too weak to adequately enforce provincial game laws this hunting season because of deep cuts to the work of Conservation Officers, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union says.

"As hunting season begins in earnest, morale among Conservation Officers is at an all-time low, and for good reason," said OPSEU president Leah Casselman. "We have fewer officers in the field, and the officers that we do have are being forced to ration gas for their patrol vehicles.

"This is a sad year for all of us who care about protecting Ontario's natural resources from unlawful exploitation."

In 1992, Ontario had 257 uniformed officers in the field. In 2006, there are just 173 (a 31 per cent reduction).

For the 2006-07 budget year, the MNR has sharply reduced budget allocations for Conservation Officers for fuel, repairs, cell phone bills, uniforms, meals, and so on.

"Our best estimate is that operating expenses for COs are about one-half of what they were last year," said Casselman. "While some MNR officials, including the Minister, claim that there have been no cuts at all, the fact is that this year our officers have spent more time parked at the office than at any time they can remember.

"This is a travesty," she said. "Our Conservation Officers are men and women of the highest integrity, with a devotion to public service that is second to none.

"To the McGuinty Liberals I say, 'Shame on you for not supporting them in their critically important work.'"

THIS IS WHAT WE DON'T WANT

More Bad News For MNR

IP: 216.221.81.99

Posted on October 27, 2006 at 04:44:58 AM by Me

OPP get municipal boost to enforce outdoors laws

Owen Sound Sun Times (ON)

Wed 25 Oct 2006

Page: A3

Section: Grey-Bruce

Byline: James Armstrong

Source:

If the Ministry of Natural Resources can't provide enough staff to enforce laws, the OPP may be able to help.

Blue Mountains council voted Monday to approve spending up to $1, 000 for the local OPP detachment to use toward hiring a Fish and Wildlife Conservation contract training officer from the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The MNR employee is needed to train OPP officers to enforce rules under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, a job normally done by the Ministry's conservation officers. Provincial cutbacks have left the MNR short-staffed.

Police already enforce the municipality's new firearms discharge bylaw, which council passed in 2005. The bylaw extended the off- limits areas for hunting and discharging firearms to sections of Craigleith and other areas now under development.

Mayor Ellen Anderson said The Blue Mountains wants hunters to feel they can come to the municipality to pursue their sport. "Nevertheless," she said, "council wants to make sure the hunting season, which has already begun, continues in an orderly and lawful manner."

Anderson said she hopes that training OPP officers to enforce hunting and anti-trespass regulations will reduce the chances of hunting-related accidents like the one that caused the death of a local man last year.

THIS NEXT COMMENT I TOTALLY AGREE WITH 100%

CO's in the OPP - Not OPP Officers doing the work of a CO!

IP: 206.130.179.100

Posted on October 27, 2006 at 01:15:37 PM by Fish-U-Later

It seems the MNR is under a tight budget and unfortunately it is the Conservation Officers (CO) taking a big hit.

I can't express this enough, that it seems a little over-the-top to suggest a regular Beat OPP officer is educated and trained in the workings of Natural Resources Law Enforcement! This is a skilled and focused area of Law Enforcement. It's like asking a pilot that flies a Cessna to hop into the space shuttle.

At Sir Sanford Fleming College (Frost Campus) there is a full year of training and study to become a Conservation Officer which follows two years of training in Fish & Wildlife, Forestry and Parks and Recreation.

If you think they are less trained then a Police Officer- think again!!!Did you know that a Conservation Officer has the same level of Enforcement opportunity to step into a roll to aid in Policing; But a Police Officer can not fill the shoes of a CO. If a chase a CO can jump into action to aid the police(and this has happened in the past) and put there skills to use in taking down the accused. But an investigation over a Rainbow trout over limit and out of season is not the place for a beat police officer that is not trained to identify between trout species and possession limits.

Don't get me wrong, the OPP has money and from a concerned outdoorsman, I would like to see some of that shared with the Conservation Officers. In fact, I believe a separate team of Natural Resource Conservation Officers should be formed within the OPP budget, but again it's trained and experienced Conservation Officers that should fill those positions- not urban beat police officers!

It's time to make certain our Natural Resources in this province are protected for our future generations. Because we have a poor Provincial Government for a term shouldn't mean we should put our Natural Resources at risk.

My 2 cents,

Fish-U-Later

For those of you that think we do not have a problem with our resource and no $$$ for OMNR I would hope that after you have read these last words you will take a step back.Sit and really think about what you have just read and if it make's you mad then GOOD. Be like SMOKEY THE BEAR. "ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT THE COLLAPSE OF THE OMNR AND OUR RESOURCES"

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lots of great points in all that Rob..maybe more people will start to see that you where not just trying to blow smoke up everyone's @$$..when trying to set up things like that meeting at the FECC and always trying to voice your opinion and bring issues to the forefront..I don't know how much more "black and white" you can get about this thread.Thanks for all your on going efforts

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Maybe the MNR should stop enforcing laws that protect the resource and just serve pizza and wings

The way things are going, that just might be their next option.(thanks uncle Dalton) How about some good old-fashioned vigilante justice if we see a poacher in the act. Think of how much $$$ we'll save the gov't by doing it our way. Just maybe there's some CFIP$$ to be had for this program (how much is a sack of doorknobs going for these days???)

Seriously, a lack of enforcement $$$ is a SLAP IN THE FACE to each and every one of us who donates their time as part of a fish and game club, who raise fish for stocking, participates in shoreline cleanups, kids derbys etc. The gov't just doesn't get it. :worthy:

just my $.02 worth

jjcanoe

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