Stage Four: Information Centre - Review of 2020-2030 Draft Forest Management Plan for the Crossroute-Sapawe

Our ministry along with Resolute FP Canada Inc., Rainy Lake Tribal Resource Management Incorporated, Fort Frances Natural Resource Advisory Committee and Atikokan Resource Management Advisory Committee invite you to review and comment on the 2020-2030 Draft Forest Management Plan for the Crossroute-Sapawe Forest.

The planning process

The Forest Management Plan (FMP) takes approximately three years to complete. During this time, five formal opportunities for public and First Nation and Métis community involvement and consultation are provided.

The public was invited to review and comment on the plan development for the following stages:

• Stage One – Invitation to Participate: October 17, 2017
• Stage Two – Review of Long-Term Management Direction: December 17, 2018 - January 16, 2019
• Stage Three – Information Centre: Review of Proposed Operations: March 26 - 28, 2019
• Stage Four – Information Centre: Review of Draft Forest Management Plan: August 27, 2019

This ‘Stage Four’ notice is to:

• Review and comment on the draft FMP and our preliminary list of required alterations.

How to get involved

The Draft Forest Management Plan and Summary will be available on our website, and at the Resolute FP Canada Inc. and Rainy Lake Tribal Resource Management Inc. offices at the locations noted below, by appointment during normal office hours, for a period of 60 days: August 27, 2019 to October 28, 2019. Comments on the plan for the Crossroute-Sapawe Forest must be received by Philip Cooze of the planning team at our Fort Frances District Office, by October 28, 2019

To assist you in the review and to provide the opportunity to ask questions, an information centre will be held at the following location from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm CST on the following days:

Nestor Falls

Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at the Community Hall, 11 Mortimer Rd., Nestor Falls, Ontario

Fort Frances

Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 29, 250 Church St. Ontario

Atikokan

Thursday August 29, 2019 at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 145, 115 O’Brien St. Ontario

In addition to the most current versions of the information and maps which were previously available, the following information will also be available:

• Draft Forest Management Plan, including supplementary documentation
• Draft Forest Management Plan summary (copies may be obtained at the information centre[s])
• Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s preliminary list of required alterations

During the planning process there is an opportunity to make a written request to seek resolution of issues with our District Manager or the Regional Director using a process described in the 2017 Forest Management Planning Manual (Part A, Section 2.4.1).

The last possible date to seek issue resolution with the Ministry Regional Director is November 27, 2019.

About the forest

The Crossroute Forest is located in our Northwest Region, within the Ministry’s Fort Frances District. For forest management purposes, Resolute FP Canada Incorporated, under a sustainable forest licence, is responsible for, among other things, the preparation of the forest management plan in accordance with the provisions of the Forest Management Planning Manual for Ontario’s Crown Forests (2017).

It covers the majority of the Ministry’s administrative district of Fort Frances. Major communities within the management unit include Fort Frances, Rainy River, Barwick, Emo, Nestor Falls, Mine Centre and Atikokan.

The Crossroute Forest encompasses a total area of 1,593,225 hectares, of which 838,121 hectares (65 per cent) are Crown production forest. There are approximately 278,121 hectares of water on the forest, and a significant area of patent land (219,717 hectares), which is primarily found on the western portion of the management unit.

Resolute FP utilizes jack pine, white and black spruce. In addition, Norbord Incorporated operates an Oriented Strand Board mill located in Barwick, which utilizes poplar, balsam poplar, white birch and a small amount of conifer. There are also two mid-size sawmills operating on a full-time basis, Manitou Forest Products and Nickel Lake Lumber, and numerous small sawmills operating on occasion on the unit.

The Sapawe Forest is located in the eastern portion of the Fort Frances Administrative District. Most of the forest lies within the Quetico section of the Great Lakes – Saint Lawrence forest region, while the remainder of the unit is in the Upper English River section of the boreal forest region. The forest is typical of the transition zone between the boreal and Great Lakes – Saint Lawrence forests. The broad character of the forest is typical of the boreal forest. Elements of the Great Lakes – Saint Lawrence forest region are typified by the occurrence of white and red pine.

The Sapawe Forest encompasses a total area of 301,536 hectares. Of this, 282,685 hectares (93 per cent) is Crown production forest. There are 17,188.5 hectares of parks and protected areas, and 1,662 hectares of patent land.

A number of forest companies receive timber from the Sapawe Forest. Resolute Forest Products operates a random length sawmill located in Thunder Bay, Ontario. This mill utilizes conifer timber and is the most significant beneficiary of wood fibre from the forest. Norbord Incorporated operates an oriented strand board mill located in Barwick, Ontario. This mill utilizes mainly hardwood. There are commitments from the forest for several receiving mills who are currently in various levels of operation.

Forest operations on the Sapawe Forest provide direct local employment opportunities for people in Atikokan and Sapawe, with indirect employment in Fort Frances, Dryden, Mine Centre and Thunder Bay.

In addition to forest management activities, the Sapawe Forest is widely used for trapping, sport fishing, hunting and other commercial and/or recreational activities.

The Sapawe Forest is licensed to Rainy Lake Tribal Resource Management Incorporated under a Forest Resource Licence #552398.

The FMP will be in effect for the 10-year period of April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2030.

Stay involved

A final opportunity to inspect the approved plan before it is implemented will take place during the inspection of the ministry-approved Forest Management Plan (Stage Five), which is tentatively scheduled for February 17, 2020.

The approval date of the FMP is scheduled tentatively for February 14, 2020.

If you would like to be added to a mailing list to be notified of public involvement opportunities, please contact Philip Cooze at the phone number of our Fort France District Office, noted below.

We are collecting your personal information and comments under the authority of the Crown Forest Sustainability Act. Any personal information you provide (address, name, telephone, etc.) will be protected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act; however, your comments will become part of the public consultation process and may be shared with the general public. Your personal information may be used by the ministry to send you further information related to this forest management planning exercise. If you have questions about the use of your personal information, please contact Tanis Williamson, at our Fort Frances District Office at 807-274-5337, extension 8638.