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

The Ministry, Domtar Inc. and the Red Lake Local Citizens’ Committee invite you to participate in the development of the 2021-2031 Forest Management Plan (FMP) for the Trout Lake 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 first opportunity (Stage One) for this Forest Management Plan occurred on November 7, 2018 when the public was invited to participate in the development of the plan. This ‘Stage Two’ notice is:

• 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-kilometre-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 Find a Forest Plan website, noted below. 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 4, 2019 – January 3, 2020.

Comments on the proposed Long-term Management Direction for the Trout Lake Forest must be received by James Hallworth at (807) 727-2575 by January 3, 2020.

Anytime 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 Trout Lake Forest is located in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Northwest Region and in the Red Lake District. The Trout Lake Forest includes approximately 815,000 hectares of Crown land. The Trout Lake Conservation Reserve, Bruce Lake Conservation Reserve, Harth Lake Conservation Reserve, Brokenmouth River Conservation Reserve, Whitemud Conservation Reserve and Gull-Christina Conservation Reserve are all located within the Trout Lake Forest.

The Trout Lake Forest is located in the Boreal forest. Tree species common to the forest include jack pine, black spruce, trembling aspen, white spruce, balsam poplar, white birch with lesser quantities of red pine, white pine, tamarack, black ash and eastern white cedar. The forest is approximately 1.1 million hectares in size. The forest is used by the mining industry, tourism operators, bait harvesters, trappers, hunters and anglers. Many communities in northwestern Ontario depend on wood flow from the Trout Lake Forest, including Red Lake, Kenora, Dryden, Ear Falls, Fort Frances and Hudson.

The forest is managed under the authority of a sustainable forest licence (#542461), which has been issued by Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to Domtar Pulp and Paper Products Incorporated.

The Trout Lake Forest has a two-year Contingency Plan from 2019-2021.

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: February-March, 2020

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

Stage Five – Inspection of Ministry Approved Forest Management Plan January-February, 2021

The approval date of the Forest Management Plan is tentatively scheduled for February 2021.

If you would like to be added to a mailing list to be notified of public involvement opportunities, please contact James Hallworth at (807) 727-2575.

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 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 Kathy Crampton, MNRF Red Lake District Office at (807) 727-1332.