To whom it may concern, Wolf…

To whom it may concern,

Wolf Lake is the largest known old growth red pine forest in North America, the missing link in the
Chiniguchi Waterway Provincial Park, and, as intended for Forest Reserves, will be brought into the
parks system as existing mining leases and claims lapse. Cumulative impacts of mining exploration
within the Forest Reserve and on adjacent lands should not be permitted to degrade the health of this
unique ecosystem, or its recreational and social value as a park and canoe route.

My personal interest in the preservation of this unique ecosystem extends to the undisturbed microbiome which sustains the old-growth forest from below the grade. Countless bacteria, fungi, and billions of micro-invertebrate creatures all work in concert with the roots of the old (and new) trees. The profound symbiosis between roots and soil microbes creates the vibrant and durable landscape we all see and enjoy. The hidden (undisturbed) microbiome below the surface at Wolf Lake holds untold value. Science has only begun to ‘scratch the surface’ of this Universe of The Small below our feet – its secrets will help us to restore the damaged soils that sustain our agricultural and forest industries. We cannot continue to blithely crush and mutilate the rarest and best examples of Nature’s Sustainability Engine – the soil microbiome communities below the last of our old-growth forests and diminishing undisturbed ecosystems.

The narrow short-sighted interests of the few, cannot continue to outweigh the health and well-being of posterity.

Thank you for this opportunity to comment, and to continue the conversation throughout the process.