Public education has been a key emphasis of the Ontario Forest Association since its inception. In 60 years, that hasn’t changed.
"Our job was to educate the public on forests and forest care and its wise use," said Jim Coats, the association’s longest serving executive director.
"There was a lot of pressure for us to become a landowners group and I didn’t think that was a good thing for us to do. I thought it might make us look self-serving. So I’ve been very happy education has remained an important part of the OFA. Since I left (in 1994), they’ve introduced a number of very good educational programs like Envirothon and the Focus on Forests."
Coats joined the OFA as an association forester in 1952 and became the organization’s second executive director five years later. Coats remained executive director for 37 years,
"The OFA started as a branch of the Canadian Forestry Association which was in an expansion mode at the time," said Coats. "With a whole lot of fellows back from the war, the forest product guys knew there was going to be a big boom in housing and more people would be going into the forest for recreation and getting wood for forest products. That brought concern about forest fires."
Subsequently, the educational focus of the OFA in its early years was on forest fire prevention and keeping our natural environment litter-free.
"My main job back then was going all over Ontario, showing educational films about fire prevention. This was before most people had TVs, so when anyone was showing a film, people were usually very interested in watching."
Over the years, the OFA’s educational initiatives expanded, with the launch of various programs such as Focus on Forests, Tree Bee and the Honour Roll of Ontario Trees.
Coats said one of the most significant developments with the OFA took place in the early 1990s following a decision by the Ontario government to get out of the business of operating nurseries or offering free consultation for managing woodlots.
The OFA suddenly gained an influx of new members.
"In a backhanded way, it was a benefit to the OFA because we got into tree planting in a big way, he said. "Suddenly there were a lot of people anxious to work with the OFA.
A concern I had then was the OFA was going to be used as a self-interest group. I felt it really should be an association that acts in the public’s interest and I’m happy to say the OFA has maintained that balance."
Carla Grant, the current executive director, agrees.
While the OFA has established itself as a strong advocate for "fair taxation" of privately-owned forests, Grant said it has also made great strides in promoting forest education to Ontario’s youth.
"We’re constantly part of the dialogue in terms of promoting stewardship and having a role in education," she said. "We’re becoming much more relied upon by teachers and government agencies to help provide information about forests and forest management."
In 1994, the OFA launched the Ontario Envirothon which reaches 10,000 high school students each year and has become a key education program for the organization.
Focus on Forests, launched online by the OFA in 2007, has also become an established resource for educators across Ontario.
For its 1500+ members, the OFA hosts forest management workshops, advises members of changes in public policy, provides information resources opportunities to networking land owners and provides delivery of the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program
"We partner with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ontario Woodlot Association to deliver that program," said Grant.
"I feel that the need for the OFA is as great as ever. Many landowners come to us for help as they navigate through their options for forest stewardship assistance, so we help people make the decisions that will fit with their objectives. On average, land turns over every seven years so there are always landowners who are eager to do get involved in forest stewardship activities."
In recent years, the OFA’s public education efforts have included speaking up in response to inaccuracies and one-sided campaigns launched by organizations aiming to raise the public’s ire over forestry practices. Grant said the association provides an objective voice in these issues.
"Some of these groups are creating the perception that forests need to be preserved while not acknowledging the reality which is that we have to sustainably manage forests to get the products we rely on in our daily lives," said Grant.◊