Environmental Issues in Northern Ontario
Elk Restoration in Ontario
Since 1996 the people and government of Ontario have been working to restore elk to four different geographic areas of our province. This effort has been a broad based partnership involving many groups, sponsors, supporters and volunteers on both a provincial as well as local basis.
Elk are thought to have existed throughout southern and central Ontario as far north as the Little Claybelt and the mainland north of Manitoulin Island until the native herds were extirpated by the late 1800�s; their demise is felt to have been due to unregulated commercial harvesting and habitat loss.
Ontario wishes to maintain the sustainability of it�s natural resources and as a result is attempting to restore degraded ecosystems and biological diversity.
With that in mind The Plan for the Restoration of Elk in Ontario was created and is a long term plan to guide Ontario�s elk restoration program. The plan was developed with input from all elk partners and was posted on the Environmental Bill of Rights registry for public comment. It was approved by MNR in 1997.