OFA has provided comments to the Ontario Government’s Natural Resources Regulatory and Permit Reform Initiative: Unlocking Ontario’s Economic Potential.

OFA supports Ontario’s Natural Resources Regulatory and Permit Reform Initiative but urges the Ministry of Natural Resources to explicitly address agricultural uses of Crown land, particularly in Northern Ontario where Crown land constitutes the majority of the land base. OFA highlights that current Crown land access processes are unclear, inconsistent, costly, and excessively slow often taking years making them impractical for family farms and new entrants and undermining northern economic development. To unlock agricultural potential, OFA recommends a clear, province-wide framework for agricultural Crown land use; standardized and transparent lease rates and terms; coordinated, agriculture-specific reviews with the Ministry of Agriculture; streamlined approvals (especially for reverted patented lands); and flexible pathways that allow both leasing and purchasing.