Our annual cost of regenerating the Timiskaming Forest averages between three and four million dollars. TFAI sources the funds required to carry out their annual regeneration program from the Forest Renewal Trust Fund. This fund was created in 1994 upon the approval of the CFSA and exists for the sole purpose of ensuring that the funding required to regenerate the forest is available. When a forest company harvests trees for use in their saw mills, pulp and paper facilities or other forest products plants, a stumpage fee (i.e. forest tax) is paid to the Government. This revenue gathered from the forest industry in turn contributes to supporting the services we, as Ontarians, enjoy.  However, in addition to paying the stumpage fees, the forest company also deposits funds into the Forest Renewal Trust Fund. This money is held "in-trust for the people of Ontario" and the Fund must be maintained at a level that will cover the costs of a sustainable renewal program. As well, money from the Fund can be spent only on forest renewal activities on the forest from where the trees were harvested and the funding originates. The utilization of forest industry dollars in the Forest Renewal Trust Fund means the renewal of the forest is an up-front cost of harvesting trees and that the tax-payer of Ontario does not pay for forest renewal.