Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is using drones more frequently, but its use of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) may still not be as widespread as some may believe.
With a fleet of nearly 100, MNR staff use drones for field operations, research, monitoring, and staff training. Depending on operational needs, however, the ministry can also enlist the help of drones flown by contracted drone service providers, Mike Fenn of the MNR’s Communications Branch said.
“The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) uses drones – Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) – to support research, monitoring, and operational activities across the province,” he said.
Drones can enable the ministry to collect aerial data and imagery for applications such as wildlife monitoring and studies, including wild pig detection and moose calf survival, as well as broader species observation and habitat assessment, Fenn explained.
When asked if the MNR sees a times when drone surveys might replace helicopter surveys for big game animals such as elk and moose, he said the feasibility of such a transition has not yet been fully determined. (Topography, time of year, size of survey area, federal regulations, and location can all be limiting factors for drones.)
Currently, the MNR has found a use for RPAS in wildland fire management and emergency response, including infrared scanning, hotspot detection and mapping, aerial photography and videography for fire investigations, and in support for prescribed burn planning and monitoring.
Drones, Fenn said, are also used for forestry assessments, including evaluating forest health, biodiversity, and forest stand structure and dynamics.
The MNR has also leveraged aquatic and underwater drone technologies to advance aquatic research.
“For example, through a recent partnership, an aquatic drone was used to document the first-ever recorded lake whitefish spawning activity in Lake Simcoe,” Fenn said.
Fenn confirmed that MNR Conservation Officers now use aerial technologies to enhance surveillance, compliance monitoring, and enforcement activities too.
The MNR follows federal aviation rules set by Transport Canada, as well as provincial policies and internal procedures, when using drones.
Fenn said the MNR is authorized to limit where drones can take off, land, or operate, particularly in sensitive areas such as provincial parks, protected wildlife habitats, and locations where emergency response or enforcement activities are underway, including wildland fires and floods.
