The purpose of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry/Fisheries and Oceans Canada Protocol for the Review and Approval of Forestry Water Crossings, 2020 (the Protocol) is to help ensure that fish and fish habitat, as defined under the Fisheries Act and related policy, are considered during the planning, review, approval and monitoring of water crossings constructed and/or removed during forest management activities on Crown lands in Ontario. The Protocol is intended to facilitate compliance with the Fisheries Act and Species at Risk Act (SARA) and in cases where required, assist with attaining the necessary Fisheries Act approvals that are required before water crossing construction and removal activities can begin.

This Protocol is a component of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry's (MNRF) Forest Policy Framework, comprised of the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, 1994 (CFSA), its regulations and the forest manuals and guides approved under that Act. It has been developed and implemented in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and representatives of Ontario's forest industry to provide a risk-informed framework for the efficient planning, review, approval and monitoring of water crossings to avoid, and minimize through mitigation measures the potential effects of forest management activities on fish and fish habitat.

The need for modernized approaches to water crossing approvals and MNRF client services was prompted by updates to MNRF's forest policy framework, legislative changes to the Fisheries Act in 2019, and organizational changes within both MNRF and DFO. The Protocol uses a risk-informed approach for lower-risk water crossings that utilizes pre-determined and mandatory technical water crossing standards to direct routine water crossing construction and removal activities in a manner that protects Ontario's fish and fish habitat. Adopting this type of risk-informed and modernized approach will allow government and industry stakeholders to focus resources towards planning and reviewing water crossing activities that pose a greater potential risk of harm to Ontario's fish and fish habitat.

The Protocol describes the roles and responsibilities for MNRF, DFO, and proponents pertaining to water crossing planning, reviews, approvals and monitoring. The Protocol enables timely and efficient water crossing approvals while providing for fish and fish habitat protection and sustainability.

The risk-informed and modernized approach detailed in the Protocol is consistent with and supports the Fish Habitat Referral Protocol for Ontario (2009), DFO's Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Policy Statement (2019), and MNRF's strategic directions, including Ontario's Provincial Fish Strategy (2015).