Tolko is a privately owned corporation from BC, which means there is no opportunity for public oversight into the fincances or operation of the company. They have logging rights to FML 2, which covers the western and northwestern forested regions of Manitoba.

The logging license which became FML 2 was, and still is today, the largest logging license ever granted in Canada. Originally the logging license covered 17% of the entire province of Manitoba. The current logging license covers 110,000 square kilometers. That is larger than the island of Newfoundland, and three times bigger than Vancouver Island. FML 2 also encompasses two provincial parks, Grass River and Clearwater Lake.

In 1999, one of Premier Doer’s election promises was to increase the protected areas in every forest management license. In spite of this promise, 75% of Grass River Provincial Park is open for industrial activity. Less than 1.35% of Tolko’s logging area is under protection.

Even though Tolko has the largest logging tenure ever issued, they have applied for and been granted a license to erect an all-weather bridge over the Grass River and bisect Grass River Park with a logging access road. This area of Grass River is supposed to be closed to logging activity, and there are already roads into the logging area Tolko wants to access, which means this road is not neccessary.

Click here to go to the Grass River Park Logging Road information page.