Stage Two: Review of Proposed Long-Term Management Direction of the 2021-2031 Forest Management Plan for the Nipigon East Portion of the Lake Nipigon Forest

Our Ministry, along with Lake Nipigon Forest Management Inc. and the Nipigon East Area Local Citizens’ Committee (LCC) invite you to review and comment on the proposed Long-term Management Direction for the 2021-2031 Forest Management Plan (FMP) for the Nipigon East portion of the Lake Nipigon 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: September 26, 2018.

This Stage Two notice is:

• 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
• 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 - 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 MNRF office identified below by appointment during normal office hours for a period of 30 days: January 27, 2020 – February 26, 2020.

Comments on the proposed Long-term Management Direction for the Nipigon East portion of the Lake Nipigon Forest must be received by Raymond Weldon of the planning team at the MNRF Nipigon District Office at (807) 887-5058 by February 26, 2020.

Meetings with representatives of the planning team and the LCC 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 Lake Nipigon Forest Management Unit is currently made up of two separate administrative portions, the Nipigon East and the Armstrong portions of the management unit. Lake Nipigon Forest Management Incorporated manages the Nipigon East portion of the Lake Nipigon Forest under a Sustainable Forest Licence while the Armstrong portion of the Lake Nipigon Forest is currently managed by the MNRF. The MNRF, Northwest Region, Regional Operations Division, has submitted a proposal to divide the existing Lake Nipigon Forest and turn the two sub-units into their own respective Forest Management Units. A final decision on this proposal will be made at a later date following a separate consultation process.

The Nipigon East portion of the Lake Nipigon Forest is located east of Lake Nipigon and north of Lake Superior between the latitudes of 49.0 degrees and 50.3 degrees, and longitudes 87.0 degrees and 88.4 degrees. The Nipigon East portion of the Lake Nipigon Forest is situated in the Nipigon District of the Northwest Region of the MNRF.

The Lake Nipigon East portion of the current Lake Nipigon Forest encompasses 978,423 hectares of Crown land, with 796,400 hectares classed as managed productive forest land. Predominant tree species found in this area include jack pine, black spruce, poplar, white spruce, birch, and balsam fir. Cedar, larch, ash, red pine and white pine are found intermittently throughout the forest but with a stronger presence on the southern portions of the area.

Wood from the forest is currently utilized primarily by AV Terrace Bay Incorporated and Resolute FP Canada Incorporated. Wood from the Nipigon East portion of the forest may also go to other mills in Ontario via trades, sales, and other business to business negotiations. In addition, there are wood supply commitments or offers to Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek (birch sawmill), Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek Sawmill (cedar), Levesque Plywood – Hearst (veneer), Wasasum Group Limited (hardwood pellets) and Sagatay Economic Development (Whitesand First Nation hardwood pellets).

Communities within, or in close proximity to the Nipigon East portion of the Lake Nipigon Forest, include but are not limited to: Animbiigoo Zaagi’igan Anishinaabek (AZA), Armstrong, Aroland First Nation , Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek (BZA / Rocky Bay First Nation), Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek (BNA), Ginoogaming First Nation, Greenstone (Beardmore, Jellicoe and Geraldton), Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek (Gull Bay), Long Lake #58 First Nation, Nipigon, Pays Plat First Nation, Red Rock Indian Band, Thunder Bay, and Whitesand First Nation.

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 2020

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

Stage Five - Inspection of MNRF-Approved Forest Management Plan May 2021

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

If you would like to be added to a mailing list to be notified of public involvement opportunities, please contact Raymond Weldon at (807) 887-5058.

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 of Natural Resources and Forestry 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 Marie Parsons at (807)  887-5012.