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

The Ministry and Resolute FP Canada Inc. invite you to participate in the development of the 2020-2030 Forest Management Plan (FMP) for the Caribou Forest.

The planning process

The plan takes approximately three years to complete. During this time, five formal opportunities for public consultation and First Nation and Métis community involvement and consultation are provided. The third opportunity (Stage Three) occurred on June 3, 2019 when the public was invited to review and comment on the proposed Long-Term Management Direction for the 2020-2030 Caribou Forest Management Plan.

This ‘Stage Four’ notice is to invite you to attend an information centre, review and comment on:

• the Draft Forest Management Plan and Ministry’s preliminary list of required alterations.

How to get involved

To facilitate your review. the Draft Forest Management Plan and Summary can be obtained on the Ontario Government website. To assist you in the review and to provide the opportunity to ask questions, an information centre will be held at the Sioux Lookout Best Western Hotel located at 2 Sturgeon River Rd from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm (CST) on Friday, November 8, 2019. A second information centre will be held at the Savant Lake public school located at 1 First St from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm (CST) on Friday, November 15, 2019.

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

• draft FMP including supplementary documentation
• draft FMP summary (copies may be obtained at the information centre)
• the Ministry’s preliminary list of required alterations.

The above information is available at the Company and Ministry office identified below by appointment during normal office hours for a period of 60 days: November 8, 2019 to January 7, 2020.

Comments on the plan for the Caribou Forest must be received by Jason Suprovich at the Ministry's Sioux Lookout District Office by January 7, 2020.

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

About the forest

The Caribou Forest is located within the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Northwest Region and in the Sioux Lookout administrative district. It lies north of the Canadian National Railway Company's main railroad line and extends north to Lake St. Joseph. It borders on the west with the Lac Seul Forest, and on the east with Wabakimi Provincial Park. There is one community located in the Forest: Ojibway Nation of Saugeen. Mishkeegogamang First Nation (formerly Osnaburgh) and Savant Lake are each located adjacent to the Forest. The largest nearby community is Sioux Lookout, which is approximately 50 kilometres southwest of the Forest.

The Caribou Forest encompasses a total area of 718,217 hectares, of which 483,992 hectares (67 per cent) is managed Crown productive forest. There are approximately 132,697 hectares of water and 2,489 hectares of patent land on the management unit. It is situated in the Boreal forest. Black spruce, jack pine, balsam fir, trembling aspen, and white birch are the primary tree species. Less common species are white spruce, balsam poplar, eastern white cedar, black ash, tamarack, white pine, and red pine, occurring as scattered stands, individual trees, or minor components of stands.

The Caribou Forest is managed under the terms of the Sustainable Forest Licence #542481 held by Resolute FP Canada Inc. Under the licence, the corporation is responsible for, among other things, the preparation of the FMP in accordance with the provisions of the Forest Management Planning Manual (2017).

In addition to fibre for commercial use, the Caribou Forest supports widespread commercial and recreational opportunities including remote tourism, trapping, bait fish harvesting, commercial fishing, wild rice harvesting, hunting, angling, snowmobiling, canoeing, camping, and berry-picking.

Stay involved

A final opportunity to inspect the Ministry-approved Forest Management Plan before it is implemented will take place during Stage Five - Inspection of the approved plan, tentatively scheduled for February 21, 2020.

The approval date of the FMP is scheduled tentatively for February 17, 2020.

The Ministry is 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 Julie Berard, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Sioux Lookout District, at (807) 737-5027.