OFA provides comments to the Mayor and Councillors of the Township of Woolwich regarding farmland protection and aggregate extraction in Ontario. OFA would like to take this opportunity to outline our position with respect to farmland protection and aggregate extraction in Ontario. Maintaining our agricultural lands to produce food, fibre and fuel is critical and it must be recognized that there is a finite and shrinking amount of agricultural lands. Therefore, OFA recommends that aggregate extraction be prohibited on prime agricultural land and specialty crop lands. Removing parcels of land from agricultural use and indefinite duration of pits and quarries, impacts not only the farmer who farms the land, but also impacts neighboring farm operations, as well as the businesses and services that serve them and rely upon agricultural output. Rehabilitation goals and objectives for rehabilitated area and soil fertility must be achievable and measurable. OFA has recommended to the Ontario government that sound public policy to create economic opportunities must be paired with thoughtful land use policies to protect water and soil for future generations.