Ontario's natural resources ministry expects to save C$7.1M/year, future capital costs of C$12.3M, with transformation plan to improve cost efficiency; measures include elimination of 28 full-time and 102 seasonal positions

Wendy Lisney

PETERBOROUGH, Ontario , September 27, 2012 (press release) – The Ministry of Natural Resources is moving forward with a plan to modernize its business and operate on a more cost efficient basis.

With its transformation plan, the ministry is reviewing its operations to ensure a clearer focus on its core mandate of natural resource management.

The review process includes public consultations on a proposed framework for streamlining and automating permitting and licensing processes to help individuals and businesses access services faster and more efficiently.

Other modernization efforts include:

• Focusing service at Ontario's most popular provincial parks and changing the designation at 10 provincial parks with very low visitation rates.
• Introducing a new day-based youth employment program, the Stewardship Youth Ranger Program, to replace the overnight Ontario Ranger Program.
• Modernizing the way the ministry supports community-based stewardship activities to ensure a clearer focus on ministry priorities.
• Issuing reminders for Outdoor Card renewals through channels other than mail, such as social media and magazine ads, saving on postage and printing costs.
• Focusing the structure of the ministry to support modernized service delivery.

• The ministry's transformation plan was announced in the 2012 Ontario Budget.
• Ontario has a network of 334 provincial parks, 104 of which will continue as operating parks that provide various visitor services.
• The ministry will continue to be a leader in providing youth employment opportunities, offering more than 1,900 positions in 2013.

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