Stage Three: Information Centre - Review of Proposed Operations for the 2021-2031 Pic Forest Management Plan

To advise the public, First Nation and Métis communities that the 10-year Forest Management Plan is being prepared for the Pic Forest for the period April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2031. The plan will ensure the sustainability of the forest resource, encourage continued biodiversity, and provide social and economic opportunities of the Crown forest.

The planning process

The 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: June 2, 2017
• Stage Two – Review of Proposed Long-Term Management Direction: July 24, 2018 to August 24, 2018
• Stage Three – Information Centre: Review of Proposed Operations: September 24, 2019 when the public is invited to review and comment on proposed operations of the plan.

This ‘Stage Three’ notice is to:

• To invite you to review and comment on
  • the details of access, harvest, renewal and tending operations for the ten-year period of the plan, and
  • the proposed primary and branch road corridors and the proposed operational road boundaries for the ten-year period of the plan, and
• To request contributions to the background information to be used in planning.

How to get involved

To facilitate your review, the following information centre will be held:

Tuesday, September 24, 2019 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM at Manitouwadge Community Recreation Centre, 2 Manitou Road, Manitouwadge, Ontario.

The following information may be obtained at the information centre:

• Summary of the MNRF Regional Director preliminary endorsed long-term management direction
• Summary map(s) of:
  • the planned areas for harvest, renewal and tending operations for the ten-year period of the plan
  • the proposed corridors for new primary and branch roads for the ten-year period of the plan

In addition to the most current versions of the information and maps which were available at Stages One and Two of the public consultation, the following information will be available at the information centre(s):

• Summary of public comments and submissions received to date and any responses to those comments and submissions
• The proposed road use management strategies
• The list of required modifications resulting from the public review of the long-term management direction.

The Draft Forest Management Plan and summary will be available on our website and at the Manitouwadge Community Recreation Centre location noted below, by appointment during normal office hours for a period of 60 days from September 24, 2019 to November 24, 2019. Comments on the proposed operations for the Pic Forest must be received by Mary Lynn McKenna of the planning team at the Ministry’s Wawa District Office, by November 24, 2019.

Our information centre in Toronto and ServiceOntario locations in Wawa, Manitouwadge, and Marathon and the Ministry district offices may provide access to the proposed operations information.

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 2017 Forest Management Planning Manual (Part A, Section 2.4.1).

About the forest

The Pic Forest is an amalgamation of the Big Pic and Pic River Forest Management Units and is located in the Wawa District, Northeast Region of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. The Pic Forest is located within the MNRF Administrative District of Wawa, which in turn is administered regionally by the Northeast Region office in Timmins.

A small portion of the license near Marathon is in the Ministry’s Nipigon District of the Northwest Region. The Pic Forest includes Crown land that is north of Lake Superior and south of Hwy 11, and encompasses the communities of Caramat, Heron Bay, Hillsport, Marathon, Manitouwadge and the Pic River First Nation (now known as “Biigtigong Nishnaabeg”). The community of Longlac lies just outside the boundaries of the Pic Forest. The Pic Forest shares a common boundary with Pukaskwa National Park on the southeast corner of the unit.

Administration and coordination of forest management responsibilities are the responsibility of the MNRF Wawa District office. However, some duties, like forest compliance, are shared between Wawa and Nipigon District MNRF. This scenario applies to the Pic River Ojibway subunit only. In April 2013, the Nawiinginokiima Forest Management Corporation (NFMC) was granted a Forest Resource Licence and became the first Local Forest Management Corporation to be established pursuant to the Ontario Forest Tenure Modernization Act, 2011. The NFMC is the Sustainable Forest License (SFL) holder.

The Pic Forest is in the boreal forest, which is dominated by mixed-wood sites. The tree species common to the forest include black spruce, jack pine, trembling aspen, white spruce, balsam fir, white birch, and balsam poplar. Tamarack and eastern cedar are scattered throughout the area. A small concentration of red pine occurs near One Shot Lake. It is expected that the Forest Management Plan will be in effect from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2031.

Stay involved

The tentative scheduled date for submission of the draft plan is January 22, 2020. There will be two more formal opportunities for you to be involved. These stages are listed and tentatively scheduled as follows:

Stage Four - Information Centre: Review of Draft Plan March 26, 2020

Stage Five - Inspection of Ministry-Approved Plan July 26, 2020

If you would like to be added to a mailing list to be notified of public involvement opportunities, please contact Jennifer Tremblay at 705-856-4717.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 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 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 Jennifer Lamontagne at 705-856-4747.