Logging in Algonquin Provincial Park.
Until recently, the environment has often been viewed in our western society as a resource to be used or even exploited for the good of humankind (Lynn, 1967). This view has led to the damage and destruction of the environment we inhabit, leading to the current problems that we are currently faced with. Philosophers have noted that the way in which one chooses to act with respect to the natural environment is often a product of how one values it (Environmental Ethics and Intrinsic Value, 2000). In accord with modern philosophy, there are two kinds of values that the environment can possess. It can have instrumental value or intrinsic value (Environmental Ethics and Intrinsic Value, 2000). Many of the current environmental issues that we are faced with are greatly influenced by the way in which humans value the environment. This is especially seen when dealing with conservation areas and parks. Hence, the following report will be based on the logging issue that currently takes place in Algonquin Provincial Park.
Algonquin Provincial Park is the largest protected area in South-central Ontario, covering an area of 7,633 square kilometres. It's forests are representative of the rich forests that once covered Southern Ontario. It is also the only provincial park in Ontario where logging is still permitted. Only about 22 percent of the park is protected, leaving almost three-quarters of the park's area open to industrial logging and related activities such as road construction and quarrying. The park's protected areas are reserved as nature and wilderness zones, camping grounds and also historical landmarks (The Wildlands League (a,b), 2000). .
Although, the Province of Ontario has allowed for logging and related activities to take place throughout the park ever since it was established, the government's approval to continue these practices undermines the role of the park as a protected area.
