Stage Four - Information Centre: Review of Draft 2020-2030 Sudbury Forest Management Plan

The Ministry, Vermilion Forest Management Incorporated, and the Sudbury Local Citizens’ Committee invite you to review and comment on the 2020-2030 draft Sudbury Forest Management Plan.

The planning process

The Sudbury Forest Management Plan takes approximately three years to complete. During this time, five formal opportunities for public, First Nation and Métis involvement are provided:

• Stage One – Invitation to Participate: December 6, 2017
• Stage Two – Review of Proposed Long-Term Management Direction: February 19, 2019
• Stage Three – Information Centre: Review of Proposed Operations: May 24, 2019 when the public was invited to review and comment on proposed operations of the plan

This ‘Stage Four’ notice is to:

• invite you to review and comment on the draft Forest Management Plan, and
• request contributions to the background information to be used in planning.

Comments from the public will be considered in revisions to the draft Forest Management Plan.

How to get involved

The draft Forest Management Plan and summary will be available on our website and at the Vermilion Forest Management Inc. office at the location noted below, by appointment during normal office hours for a period of 60 days from October 28 to December 26, 2019. Comments on the draft plan for the Sudbury Forest must be received by Mike Liukko of the planning team at the Ministry’s Northeast Regional office by December 26, 2019.

Our Information Centre and ServiceOntario locations in Sudbury and the Ministry district offices may provide internet access. To assist you in the review and to provide the opportunity to ask questions, information centres will be held at the following locations on the following days:

Monday, October 28, 2019 from 3:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. at the Northbury Hotel, 50 Brady Street, Sudbury, ON, P3E 1C8

Tuesday, October 29, 2019 from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Northbury Hotel, 50 Brady Street, Sudbury, ON, P3E 1C8

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 plan summary (copies may be obtained at the information centres)
• the Ministry’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 the Ministry’s District Manager or the Regional Director using a process described in the Forest Management Planning Manual (2017). The last possible date to seek issue resolution with the Regional Director is January 25, 2020.

About the forest

The Sudbury Forest is bounded on the east by Lake Nipissing; on the west by the Town of Nairn Centre; on the south by the French River and Georgian Bay; and on the north by Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park. The City of Sudbury is roughly the geographical centre of the Forest. Several major highways (17, 144 and 69) bisect the Sudbury Forest. The total area of the Sudbury Forest is approximately 11,450 square kilometres. Around 26 per cent of the forest is considered private land which is excluded from the scope of the forest management plan.

The Sudbury Forest is important for supporting resource-based tourism and outdoor recreation in the form of hunting, fishing, camping and cottage opportunities. Maintained trail networks support snowmobile recreationalists during the winter. Registered trap lines are also located throughout the forest. Several Provincial and Municipal parks, Conservation Reserves and other protected spaces also contribute to the forest’s natural diversity.

Numerous First Nation and Métis communities rely on the resources of the Sudbury Forest for their harvesting and spiritual activities.

The Sudbury Forest is in the Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence Forest Region. The northern third of the Sudbury Forest is predominated by jack pine, black spruce, white birch and poplar. The remaining south-central portion contains a significant component of white pine and red pine. Lesser amounts of maple, yellow birch, white spruce, hemlock, cedar, larch, balsam fir, basswood, oak, white ash and black ash are also found.

The forest is managed under Sustainable Forest Licence #542442 by the Vermilion Forest Management Company Limited.

In terms of commercial utilization of these timber resources, the Sudbury Forest is a key supplier of spruce, pine and fir softwood timber to EACOM’s sawmill in Nairn Center. The residual softwood chips from this operation are sent to Domtar’s nearby pulp and paper mill in Espanola. Until recently, this mill also received considerable round wood from the forest. Occasionally a volume of spruce, pine and fir logs is received by the EACOM sawmill in Ostrom.

Red and white pine sawlogs from the Sudbury Forest are an important part of the supplies for H&R Chartrand Lumber in Noelville, Goulard Lumber in Sturgeon Falls, Lahaie Lumber in Alban, and Gervais Forest Products in Falconbridge.

Hardwood species are typically shipped to the pulp and paper mill in Espanola. Quality intolerant hardwood logs when encountered have been sold to GP Northwoods LP in Englehart, Rockshield in Cochrane and Global LVL in Ville Marie (Quebec). Red pine and jack pine poles when encountered were delivered to Northern Pressure Treated in Dobie and Herb Shaw Limited in Pembroke. A few other mills receive smaller amounts of wood from the Sudbury Forest.

The focus of forest management operations over the past two decades has expanded from meeting timber production objectives, to maintaining forest ecosystems and protecting natural heritage areas. With each subsequent forest management plan in the Sudbury Forest, more forest values have been identified and considered for protection. This continual review, assessment, and modification of the management practices are essential to ensure the sustainability of all forest ecosystem features.

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 24, 2020.

The approval date of the plan is tentatively scheduled for February 10, 2020.

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 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 Valarie Morin at 705-941-5119.