Stage Two: Review of Proposed Long-Term Management Direction for the 2021-2031 Forest Management Plan for the Lac Seul Forest

Our Ministry, along with Ondaadiziwin Forest Management Inc. and the Sioux Lookout Local Citizens Committee invite you to review and comment on the proposed Long-term Management Direction for the 2021-2031 Forest Management Plan (FMP) for the Lac Seul 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:

• Stage One – Invitation to Participate: August 15, 2018.

This ‘Stage Two’ notice is to invite you to review and comment on:

• To invite you to review and comment on:
  • the proposed long-term management direction for the forest;
  • the areas which could reasonably be harvested, and the preferred areas for harvest operations, during the 10-year period of the plan;
  • the analysis of alternative one-kilometer wide corridors for each new primary road which is required for the next 20 years.
• To request your contribution to background information to be used in planning.

How to get involved

To facilitate your review, a summary of the Proposed Long-term Management Direction for the forest can be obtained on the Ontario government website link provided below – ‘Find a Forest Plan’. A summary map(s) of the preferred and optional harvest areas for the 10-year period of the plan and alternative corridors for each new primary road which is required for the next 20 years will also be available.

In addition to the most current versions of the information and maps which were available at Stage One of public consultation, the following information and maps will be available:

• summary of public comments and submissions received to date and any responses to those comments and submissions;
• a summary report of the results of the desired forest and benefits meeting;
• environmental analysis, including use management strategies of the alternative corridors for each new primary road;
• maps that portray past and approved areas of harvest operations for the current forest management plan and the previous 10 years;
• criteria used for the identification of areas that could reasonably be harvested during the 10-year period of the plan;
• the rationale for the preferred areas for harvest;
• summary report of the activities of the local citizen’s committee to date.

The above information is available at the Company and Ministry offices identified below by appointment during normal office hours for a period of 30 days: December 20, 2019 – January 20, 2020.

Comments on the proposed Long-term Management Direction for the Lac Seul Forest must be received by Kevin Pruys at (807) 737-5053 by January 20, 2020.

Meetings with representatives of the planning team can be requested at any time during the planning process. Reasonable opportunities to meet planning team members during non-business hours will be provided upon request. If you require more information or wish to discuss your interests and concerns with a planning team member, please contact one of the individuals listed below:

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 Lac Seul Forest is located in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Northwest Region and in the Sioux Lookout administrative district. The Ministry has issued an Enhanced Sustainable Forest Licence to Ondaadiziwin Forest Management Inc. Under the licence, Ondaadiziwin’s responsibilities include the preparation of the forest management plan in accordance with the provisions of the Forest Management Planning Manual 2017.

The Lac Seul Forest is approximately 840,180 hectares, of which 90% is classified as production forest. The primary working groups are comprised of 60% spruce, 27% pine and the remaining 23% of the area is classified as other conifer or hardwoods.

The municipality of Sioux Lookout and the First Nation communities of Lac Seul and Slate Falls are located within the Lac Seul Forest. The forest is accessible by four provincial secondary highways and numerous forest access roads under the responsibility of Ondaadiziwin Forest Management Inc. In addition to fibre for commercial use, the forest supports wildlife and natural ecosystems along with a variety of social activities including commercial and non-commercial recreation opportunities.

The majority of the wood harvested on the Lac Seul Forest is transported to the Domtar Inc. pulp mill in Dryden and Weyerhaeuser’s Trus Joist Mill in Kenora.

A final opportunity to inspect the approved plan before it is implemented will take place during the inspection of the ministry-approved FMP(Stage Five), which is tentatively scheduled for February 20, 2021.

Stay involved

There will be three more formal opportunities for you to be involved. These stages are listed and tentatively scheduled as follows:

Stage Three - Information Centre: Review of Proposed Operations May 30, 2020

Stage Four - Information Centre: Review of Draft Forest Management Plan October 31, 2020

Stage Five - Inspection of MNRF-Approved Forest Management Plan February 20, 2021

The approval date of the FMP is scheduled tentatively for April 1, 2021.

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; 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: Julie Berard at (807) 737-5027.