My Bump up for Ogoki

Issue #1: Clear cutting as a method of forest extraction has historically and irrevocably changed the age class and composition of managed forests in Ontario.

"Research in the boreal forest in Ontario has indicated that "...the observed increase in shade intolerant hardwoods at the expense of conifers...has been attributed to increased application of mechanical clear-cutting practices in the province's boreal region over the past 50 years" and further, "the shift in species composition in the boreal region from coniferous to deciduous species may be directly attributed to clearcut harvesting, either because of differences in post-clear-cutting and post-fire successional trajectories, changes in stand age distributions, or both"(5)

Observe the conifer tree density in a burn then look at the conifer density in a standard clear cut. In a burn the high density of conifer growth will for the most part preclude competing species from growing in any significant numbers. The open patterned hand planting of an industrial clearcut will actively encourage competing species to grow and will require the application of chemical herbicides to eliminate them. The open pattern of the industrial replant will also not allow the progression toward the correct light and humidity conditions which are essential for the production of the lichen required to sustain caribou populations through the winter. In order to actively emulate a fire driven system, each stage of forest growth must be faithfully reproduced as closely as possible. Failure to allow each progressive stage of the natural cycle to occur (in an effort to artificially increase the rate of fibre growth), will result in an altered eco-system that will not sustain the life that previously inhabited the region. Early high density conifer growth and the subsequent process of naturally occurring thinning (a classic example of survival of the fittest) is key to recreating the classic, fully functioning mature boreal forest.

Recommendation #1: Suspend all forest operations in the Ogoki Forest pending an Environmental Assessment that would isolate the impacts timber harvesting has on species conversion separately from conversion due to natural causes. To fulfill this commitment, benchmarks should be established that map the pre-industrial state of the Ogoki forest and then indicators should be employed to ensure that species composition is maintained.

Recommendation #2: Improve silvicultural effectiveness by hand planting or better yet aerially seeding locations where tree densities are too low. Conifer density (not woody stem growth as is the currently used indicator) is a critical part of emulating the fire driven Jack Pine forest.

Issue #2: There is no evidence that the proposed 48% of the forest will regenerate naturally as planned to meet the Ministry’s mandate to retain bio-diversity on Crown Land.