I am writing to request that…

I am writing to request that the old-growth red pine ecosystem of the Wolf Lake Forest Reserve northeast of Sudbury be added to the list of areas under consideration for protection as part of this provincial proposal to expand Protected Areas under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act.

The Wolf Lake Forest Reserve contains the largest remaining old-growth red pine forest in Canada, spanning 1,600 hectares in the Temagami wilderness. It holds exceptional ecological, cultural, recreational, and economic value. The forest plays a vital role in maintaining the health of the surrounding watershed and supports eco-tourism businesses that contribute over $3.5 million annually to the local economy.

The significance of Wolf Lake was recognized in 1999 during the development of Ontario’s Living Legacy Land Use Strategy. However, despite its acknowledged ecological importance, it was not regulated as a provincial park or conservation reserve at that time due to existing mining tenure on the land. As a result, this provincially significant ecosystem remains vulnerable more than two decades later.

The current provincial proposal to expand Protected Areas under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act presents the perfect opportunity to finally provide Wolf Lake with the permanent protection it deserves.

Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.