The provincial government is spending $14 million to improve data for the forest sector.

The Ministry of Natural Resources is working with Microsoft to improve data collection and storage.

Tricia Westman is the Director of the Science and Research branch of the MNR and says the information is valuable for forest companies.

“The forest industry relies on this inventory data to decide where and when to harvest, how much timber is available and what products can be produced,” Westman told a news conference this week in Sault Ste. Marie

“Accurate data helps avoid the risk of overharvesting, under-utilizing resources.”

Westman adds the new data can tell you a lot about Ontario forests.

“Where they are, how old they are, what species they contain, and this information is used by industry on multiple levels. Operationally, inventories help industry map out road locations, help identify areas of concern and plan silviculture treatments.”

Using new cutting-edge technology, the MNR says it can capture precise information about forests and ground elevation, some individual tree characteristics and more.

The province says the funding not only allows for the production of a huge amount of information on Ontario forests but also use the cloud to safety store it.