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

The Ministry, EACOM Timber Corporation, and the Spanish Forest Local Citizens’ Committee invite you to review and comment on the 2020-2030 draft Spanish Forest Management Plan.

The planning process

The Spanish 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: September 26, 2017
• Stage Two – Review of Proposed Long-Term Management Direction: January 30, 2019
• Stage Three – Information Centre: Review of Proposed Operations: May 27, 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 EACOM Timber Corporation office at the location noted below, by appointment during normal office hours for a period of 60 days from October 29 to December 27, 2019. Comments on the draft plan for the Spanish Forest must be received by Bob Robinson of the planning team at the Ministry’s Sudbury office by December 27, 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:

Tuesday, October 29, 2019 (3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.) – Chelmsford Community Centre Hall, 215 Edward Avenue, Chelmsford, ON P0M 1L0

Wednesday, October 30, 2019 (3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.) – Royal Canadian Legion, 370 Annette Street, Espanola, ON P5E 1J8

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 26, 2020.

About the forest

The Spanish Forest lies generally to the north and west of Sudbury, north and east of Massey, east and southeast of Chapleau, and south and southwest of Gogama. Three communities, including Cartier, Sultan and Biscotasing are located within the area. Highway 144 bisects the eastern half of the unit as it runs north/south between Sudbury and Timmins. The total area of the forest is approximately 12,450 square kilometres.

The Spanish Forest is located in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest Region to the south and in the Boreal Forest Region to the north. The dominant tree species in the forest are jack pine, black spruce, white birch and poplar. The south-central portion also contains a significant component of white and red pine. Lesser amounts of maple, yellow birch, white spruce, cedar, larch, balsam fir and black ash are also found in the forest.

The Spanish Forest has been managed under Sustainable Forest Licence #542391 by EACOM Timber Corporation. It is the main supplier of softwood timber to EACOM’s mill in Nairn Center. The residual softwood chips from this operation are sent to Domtar’s pulp and paper mill in Espanola. This mill also receives round wood from the forest. Sawmills in Timmins, Ostrom, Sault Ste. Marie and Thessalon also receive significant amounts of softwood timber from the Spanish Forest. Hardwood species are used mainly by TrueNorth Plywood Cochrane veneer plant, and Georgia Pacific’s oriented strand board plant in Englehart. Hardwood is also supplied to mills in Sault Ste. Marie, Thessalon and Wawa. Several other mills receive smaller amounts of wood from the Spanish Forest.

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 25, 2020.

The approval date of the plan is tentatively scheduled for February 11, 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 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 Laura Julian at 705-564-7838.