Speaking for the Trees: Investigating the Discourse Regarding Logging in Quetico and Algonquin Provincial Parks
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SPEAKING FOR THE TREES: INVESTIGATING THE DISCOURSE REGARDING LOGGING IN QUETICO AND ALGONQUIN PROVINCIAL PARKS Reid Morris SUMBITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES NIPISSING UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES NORTH BAY, ONTARIO September 2019 1 Abstract The place of logging in Ontario’s Provincial Parks has long been a contentious issue, given the tension between the role of parks in habitat protection, and the historically permissive policy towards timber values from the establishment of the first Provincial Park in Algonquin. This thesis examines the discourse used by stakeholders both for and against logging in Ontario Provincial Parks. The case of Quetico Provincial Park’s prohibition of logging in 1973 and the ongoing logging debate in Algonquin Provincial Park, the last remaining logged Ontario Provincial Park, were selected as the case studies for this thesis. The goal was to describe how pro and anti-logging discourse changed by comparing of a successful logging ban (Quetico) to a case where logging still persists (Algonquin). I conducted a content analysis in which units of text within these advocacy documents related to these cases were categorized based on values expressed in the text, as well as more specific concerns within these values. This ‘coding’ of text produced a dataset of quantitative descriptions of the contents of advocacy for both sides in aggregate, as well as samples for qualitative observation of the more nuanced differences in the way that values and concerns are expressed towards the means of the respective policy aims of stakeholders. Findings indicated that environmental discourse in the Algonquin Provincial Park case study was focused on ecological issues, a departure from a strategy of diverse values and concerns expressed in the Quetico Provincial Park case study. Conversely, industry advocates communicated a more diverse range of values in the Algonquin case than that of Quetico, effectively making appeals to the educational, ecological, historical and cultural merit of logging in the park. Qualitative observations revealed large differences between parties regarding perceptions about how forests work, the role of parks in society, the perception of destruction of the costs and benefits of either policy outcome, and the understanding of the Ontario Provincial 2 Parks mandate for ‘ecological integrity’. Unfortunately, these large discrepancies between the two perspectives presents a barrier to effective collaboration and policy progress. Ultimately, this study identified the historical and present discursive context surrounding the issue of logging in Ontario Provincial Parks, and suggests that at present, industry advocates have effectively used discourse to insulate logging in Algonquin Park from policy reform. 3 For Mom, for everything 4 Acknowledgments: First, I’d like to thank my supervisors Dr. James Abbott (Nipissing University) Dr. Kirsten Greer (Nipissing University), and Dr. Warren Mabee (Queen’s University) for their time and guidance over the course of my time in the Masters of Environmental Studies (MES) program at Nipissing University. You have brought unique perspectives and insights to my thesis, and I genuinely am incredible grateful for your input, guidance, and support. Dr. Abbott it was truly special to be taken under your wing during my Undergraduate degree, and ever since you have been a huge influence on my approaches to both research and teaching. Second, thank you to the instructors of the MES graduate courses, who facilitated thought provoking discussion and provided the types of constructive criticism on my work which no doubt positively influenced my development as a researcher. Of these instructors, a special mention to Dr. Jeff Dech, as your professionalism and knowledge were a huge inspiration to me, your desire for us to address real world concerns and suggest real world solutions was a major influence on my academic philosophy. I would also like to thank all the people I met at my data sources, including the Ontario Archives, the Lakehead Archives, Atikokan Centennial Museum, and John Ridley Library. Your assistance, encouragement, and insights no doubt contributed to the completion of this thesis. Thank you to my partner Elisabeth MacGillivray, who experienced the ups and downs of this process with me more than anyone, I have all the gratitude in the world for the way you helped me through it. We made it to the finish line Freddy, I love you. Most importantly, a special thank you to my parents, Marc and Kate Morris, you guys are the greatest parents in the world and since repaying you for everything you’ve done would be impossible: I can only hope to pay it forward. Thank you for believing in me and always having my back, I love you. 5 Table of Contents Certification of Examination……………………………………………………………………1 Abstract……………………………………………………………………………..…………….2 Dedication………………………………………………………………………….……………. 4 Acknowledgements……………………………………………………...……………………… 5 Table of Contents....……………………………………………………...………………………6 List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………………..8 List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………………….9 1. Introduction…………………………………………………...…………………………..….10 1.1 Research Questions and Objectives…………………….………………………………….13 1.2 Significance………………………………………….………………………………………..17 2. Literature Review……………………………………………………………………………18 2.1 Protected areas and society………………………..……………………………………….19 2.2 Social Constructions of Nature…………………….……………………………………….23 2.3 Values and Stakeholder…………………………….………………………………………..28 2.4 Disturbance Ecology………………………………….…..………………………………….45 2.5 Logging in Canadian Protected Areas……………….………..…………………………..47 3. Methods……………………………………………………………………………………….54 3.1 Case Study Areas……………………………………………………………………………..55 3.1.1 Quetico Provincial Park…………………………………….……...……………56 3.1.2 Algonquin Provincial Park………………………………………………………66 3.2 Data Collection and Processing……………………………………………………………80 3.3 Coding Software…………………………………………………………………...…………83 3.4 Quantitative Content Analysis………………………………………………………..…….84 3.4.1 Frequency ……………………………………………….…………………………86 3.4.2 Co-occurrence……………………………………………….………….…………87 3.5 Qualitative Content Analysis………………………………………….…………………….88 4. Results…………………………………………………………………….……………..……92 4.1 Identity Coding…………………………………………………………….………………….92 4.2 Value Code Frequency ………………………………………………….…………………..93 4.3 Value Code Co-occurrence…………………………………………….……………………99 6 4.4 Qualitative Content Analysis……………………………………….….………………….100 4.4.1 Economic……………………………………………..……….……………….…100 4.4.2 Ecological………………………………………………..….……………………106 4.4.3 Social…………………………………………………………….………………..113 4.4.4 Legal……………………………………………………………..………………..122 4.4.5 Information……………………………………………………...………………..124 4.5 Indigenous Advocacy……………………………………………………….………………128 4.5.1 Quetico Provincial Park……………………………...……………….………..129 4.5.2 Algonquin Provincial Park ……………………..…………………..………….131 4.6 Cottaging Advocacy………………………………………………………..…….…………134 4.7 Social Constructions of Nature…………………………………………..…………….....137 4.7.1 Role of Parks……………………………………………….…...………………..137 4.7.2 How Forests Work……………………………………………………………….140 5. Discussion……………………………………………………….……………..……………143 5.1 Values Changing in Context……………………………..……………………...………...143 5.2 Diversification of Values in Industry Discourse………………….………...………..…148 5.3 Specialization of Ecological Values in Environmental Discourse…………….......…153 5.4 Custodial and Stewardship Perspectives……………………………………….………..157 5.5 Divergent Economic Understandings……………………………………..…..………....159 5.6 The Issue of ‘Ecological Integrity’………………………………………………..……...162 5.7 Indigenous Discourse……………………………………………………..………..………166 6. Conclusions……………………………………………………………….…………………170 References………………………………………………………………….…………………..184 Appendices…………………………………………………………….……………………….193 I Tables and Figures……………………………………………….……………………………195 II Qualitative Analysis Quote Selection………………………..……………………………..221 III Text Samples Database……………………………………..………………………………248 7 List of Tables Table 1: Timelines of significant events by case study 197 Table 2: Text samples used in this research by source and type 199 Table 3: Coding levels used in identity coding process 200 Table 4: Values used to categorize text and specific concerns 201 Table 5: Guide for coding the content of text samples 202 Table 6: Questions for consideration in qualitative analysis 207 Table 7: Identified unique actors by group for Quetico Provincial Park case study 209 Table 8: Identified unique actors by group for Algonquin Provincial Park case study 212 Table 9: Total frequency of main level value code by group and case study 213 Table 10: Percentage of documents containing main level value code by group and case study 216 Table 11: Subcode occurrence by group as proportion of main level value code 217 Table 12: Frequency of main level codes co-occurring by group and case study 218 Appendix II: Qualitative analysis quote selection 221 Appendix III: Content analysis sample source database 248 8 List of Figures Figure 1: Case Study Areas 195 Figure 2: Overview of old growth, logging and protected areas in Algonquin Park 196 Figure 3: Flowchart depicting methods of this thesis 208 Figure 4: MaxMAPS visualization of main level code frequency by group Quetico Park 214 Figure 5: MaxMAPS visualization of main level code frequency by group Algonquin Park 215 Figure 6: Frequency of co-occurrence of main level codes regardless of group in Quetico Park 219 Figure 7: Frequency of co-occurrence