lies outside the boundaries of most national and provincial parks, 70 million hectares of wild forest, and one of the largest remaining intact ecosystems in the world. Home to people and communities who use them for everything from recreation - including canoeing, camping, cottaging, birding, and fishing - to hunting, plant gathering and firewood collecting, these forests also play a large economic role, supporting activities ranging from forestry to remote tourism. In 2001, the Ontario forest industry produced $5.7 billion worth of wood products and $11.1 billion worth of paper products.Nestled in the north-west region of Ontario’s Boreal Forest is 1 million ha of Ontario’s richest and most ecologically diverse ecosystems – the Ogoki Forest. Predating any form of mechanized travel, fur traders traveled with only their canoes to secure their safe passage portaged through virgin old growth forest, thick with jack pine, black spruce and poplar, made worse by and often impassable with frequent blow-downs and wildfire. That was well over 100 years ago. Today, wildfire and blow-downs are still very much part of the northern boreal, and yet these Historic routes have survived and are still being used by tourism operators and Wilderness Outfitters in the area. Successful canoe tripping through the boreal forest depends on many things – one very basic requirement is the ability to portage canoes and supplies between lakes. These portages and the forests bordering those lakes and rivers are now at risk of being lost forever.
Buchanan Group acting through its subsidiary Long Lake Forest Products was first licensed by the Ontario Government to harvest timber in the Ogoki Forest in 1996 . This is a 20 year license and it is now up for renewal. To facilitate this process, The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) has prepared a strategic document entitled the 2008-2018 Forest Management Plan (FMP) outlining their recommendations for harvesting via clear cut approximately 70,000 ha of Boreal forest within the Ogoki Forest Management Unit for a ten year period commencing April 2008 . The planned areas for harvest boundary several lakes and rivers that form one of several canoe routes used by the wilderness enthusiasts in the area. A major area of concern is the area surrounding the Marshall Lake Canoe Route . Traditionally used by the Ojibway for hunting, fishing, and trapping for over thousands of years, the Marshall Lake Canoe Route is steeped in history. The route offers the keen observer an opportunity to locate pictographs on the steep rocky shores of the deep blue lakes and wide flat rivers. The Woodland Caribou, a threatened species, can still be seen drinking at shore's edge.
The 2008-2018 Forest Management Plan proposes extensive harvesting along the shores of the Kapikotongwa River within the Marshall Lake Canoe Route. The risk to wildlife is also substantial. Caribou are a sensitive species, and their habitat is projected to fall in the Ogoki Forest by 57% over the next 100 years . The decline is largely a function of the Forest becoming regulated by the Ministry’s forestry operations guideline referred to as The Caribou Mosaic. The projected large decline in suitable habitat in combination with the imperiled status of the species is a source of grave concern. This narrative has been prepared to engage all outdoor enthusiasts who advocate recreation and wildlife preservation into a call for action! Preserve our heritage! Save the Marshall Lake Canoe Route, protect caribou habitat and have a voice in the development of the Ogoki Forest!
Your action is required - the future of our forest depends on it!
Update! The draft plan has been issued by the MNR but it is not too late! Forest operations will continue unless you speak up now! The final stage of the Forest Management Process is a 30 day inspection period (Stage 5) which begins Feb 1, 2008 and ends March 2, 2008. During this inspection period, any person may make a written request to the Director of Environmental Assessment Approvals Branch, Ministry of the Environment, for an individual environmental assessment of specific proposed forest management activities in the forest management plan. A response to a request for an individual environmental assessment will normally be provided after the completion of the 30-day inspection period.
This means any individual can send a letter to the Minister of the Environment requesting an independant Environmental Assessment be conducted before logging begins in April 2008. This is the final stage - all letters must be sent in by March 2, 2008. For more information check the EBR website at:
http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/displaynoticecontent.do?noticeId=MjcxNjg=&statusId=MjcxNjg=&language=en
This is the last opportunity for public input. It is critical for all Canadians who care about how their land is being managed to voice their opinions NOW before development decisions are finalized.
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