Wolf Lake has achieved the…

Wolf Lake has achieved the status as a ‘forest reserve’ rather than a provincial park which effectively has left it in limbo and vulnerable to the incursions of the mining industry. While the mining industry may seem less destructive than forestry, it involves a number of threats to a much-valued forest ecosystem which has retained its integrity because of its wholeness. I am writing to ask that Flag Resources be denied access to this area for mineral exploration that could lead to further development of mining in the area.
I am advocating that the province, in light of the diverse set of supporters for Wolf Lake ecosystem because of its varied values, be declared a provincial park which removes it from resource exploitation of all kinds. As a sociologist, I might suggest that our attitudes toward pine forests may be at work in our evaluation of this preserved ancient red pine forest. The historical record shows that pine trees have been planted throughout southern Ontario because they have typically grown on a number of different kinds of soils and therefore are considered to be relatively easy to grow. However, efforts at regeneration have that it is not so easy (McLaughlin, et al., 2010).
As the Wildlands League (https://wildlandsleague.org/) has shown us, the exploration itself has a number of serious impacts on the forest which go beyond the obvious known impacts of mining itself (https://ontarionature.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/mining-in-ontario-…). The Ontario Nature website on ‘mining in Ontario has noted that the Mining Act may be more limited in regulating exploration than for mining operations themselves. As was noted, “surface stripping that displaces less than 10,000 m3 or extraction of less than 1,000 tonnes of material from the is not considered advance exploration under the Act.” This means that there are no requirements for mitigation in these cases.
The impact of exploration is not limited to the effects of boring holes and extracting ore. The heavy machine equipment that is used can injure trees directly but, not as readily recognizable, can compact soils which jeopardize water uptake by trees. According to Swim et al. (2013), having machines crosscutting their way through the forest can lead to loss of soil micro-capacity through the compacting due to rubber tire skidders “impairing hydraulic conductivity and thus water availability (p. 770).” Such diminished capacity could lead to lower ability to resist damage in fire, and this capacity has been the hallmark of sustainability for this forest over hundreds of years.
These above considerations are related to the consequences of mining exploration. The success of that endeavour could lead to devastating mining activities in this area that is valued for its existence as a living laboratory in its own right and also for its cultural and economic value as a recreational site of great natural beauty. The website aimed at preservation of this area as a provincial park gives 10 solid reasons for doing so (https://savewolflake.org/ ). To allow it to degenerate although it has clearly gained enough virtue to be considered a ‘forest reserve’ and off limits for forestry is simply allowing for the possibility of death by another means (mining). This forest is a golden area by virtue of its benefits to humans and other species which rely on it as an undisturbed ecosystem; we have a golden use which is incompatible with trying to find gold beneath it.
To provide for an even more suitable habitat corridor for wildlife biodiversity (Anand, et al., 2013) it would make sense to join it with the old white pine forests in the area of Spanish so that there would be a continuous linkage across these stands of pine trees from Temagami across to the area of Ermatinger township where the Centre Creek Old Growth White Pine Conservation reserve is located.

Anand, M., Leithead, M., Silva, L. R., Wagner, C., Ashiq, M.W., Cecile, J., Drobyshev, I, Bergeron, Y. & Bulger, C. (2013). The scientific value of the largest remaining old-growth red pine forests in North America. Biodiversity & Conservation, 22, 1847-1861.
McLaughlin, J. A., Hsiang, T., Hayden, G. H. & Griefenhagen, S. (2010). Mortality in Southern Ontario red pine plantations: Causes, consequences, and management options. Forest Research Note, 69.
https://www.ontario.ca/page/centre-creek-old-growth-white-pine-conserva…
https://ontarionature.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/mining-in-ontario-…
Swim, S., Walker, R. F., Johnson, D. W., Fecko, R. M. & Miller, W. W. (2013). Long-term growth responses of a Jeffry Pine Stand to mechanized thinning and prescribed fire. Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 32, 745-782.
https://wildlandsleague.org/
https://savewolflake.org