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

We, along with Northshore Forest Incorporated, and the Northshore Forest Resource Management Advisory Committee invite you to review and comment on the 2020-2030 draft Northshore Forest Management Plan.

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: August 18, 2017
• Stage Two – Review of Proposed Long-Term Management Direction: January 16, 2019
• Stage Three – Information Centre: Review of Proposed Operations: May 7, 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 plan.

How to get involved

The draft Forest Management Plan and summary will be available on the Ontario government website, and at the Northshore Forest Incorporated office at the location noted below, by appointment during normal office hours for a period of 60 days from October 1 to November 29, 2019. Comments on the draft plan for the Northshore Forest must be received by John Harvey of the planning team at the ministry’s Blind River field office by November 29, 2019.

Our Information Centre and ServiceOntario locations in Sault Ste. Marie, Blind River, 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 from 3:00 to 7:00 pm on the following days:

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Blind River Royal Canadian Legion, 27 Hawkins Street, Blind River, P0R 1B0

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Renaissance Centre, 2 Veteran’s Way, Elliot Lake, P5A 1Z6

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Espanola Royal Canadian Legion, 370 Annette Street, Espanola, 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 December 29, 2019.

About the forest

The Northshore Forest is entirely within the Northeast Region of Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. It is comprised of the former Mississagi and Spanish River management units, which were amalgamated to form the Northshore Forest prior to the 2000 forest management plan. This is the fourth forest management plan that is being prepared for the Northshore Forest. The legal boundaries of the Northshore Forest have not changed since the 2000 forest management plan.

The former Mississagi management unit is in Sault Ste. Marie District and is the responsibility of the Blind River field office staff. This management unit was created in 1995 by the amalgamation of the former Kirkwood, Blind River and Peshu management units, with the exception of McMahon, Morin, Kane, west half of Rose and west half of Lefroy townships. These townships were added to the Algoma Forest. The former Spanish River unit was created in 1960 and the boundaries changed in 1990 with the addition of 10 townships dropped from the Lower Spanish Forest. The Spanish River management unit is in Sudbury District.

The lead Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry District for the Northshore Forest is the Sault Ste. Marie. The Blind River field office will be the contact for forest management for the entire Northshore Forest to provide professional, technical and administrative support. The Sudbury District office will provide technical support for the former Spanish River management unit.

The Northshore Forest is associated with a transition between the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest Region and the Boreal Forest Region. Approximately 45 percent of the Northshore Forest is contained within the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest Region, and approximately 55 percent of the unit is contained within the transition zone, found in the northern part of the unit. Eastern white pine, red pine, eastern hemlock and yellow birch characterizes the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest Region, along with tolerant hardwoods such as sugar maple, red maple, red oak, basswood, white elm and poplar, as well as conifer species such as cedar, balsam fir, white and black spruce and occasionally red spruce.

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 12, 2020.

The approval date of the plan is tentatively scheduled for January 13, 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 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 Valarie Morin at 705-941-5119.