Contingency Plan for the Ogoki Forest for the one-year period of April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021; Public Inspection of Approved Contingency Plan

Our Ministry invites you to inspect the 2020-2021 Contingency Plan for the Ogoki forest.

The planning process

The Contingency Plan (CP) takes approximately 8 months to complete. All planned harvest areas in the 2020-2021 CP will be selected from remaining regular harvest areas that are currently approved for harvest in the 2008-2020 Forest Management Plan. During the preparation of the 2020-2021 Ogoki Forest CP, one formal opportunity was provided for consultation with affected persons and First Nation and Métis communities.

An opportunity for targeted stakeholders to review and comment on the draft CP was provided from February 10 to February 24, 2020.

How to get involved

The final Ministry-approved CP will be available for inspection at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) Nipigon District office at the locations shown below by appointment during normal office hours for a period of 15 days from March 16 to March 31, 2020.

About the forest

The Ogoki Forest is approximately 10,900 km2 in size and is located between 50º30’ – 51º30’ latitude and 86º30’ – 89º15’ longitude in Northwestern Ontario, approximately 400 km north-east of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Forest incorporates approximately 9,798 km2 of forested area, the majority of which is Crown Land subject to forest management planning and forest management operations. The current boundaries of the Ogoki Forest were formally established in 2004.

The Ogoki Forest is bordered to the north and east by the northern boundary of the Area of the Undertaking, as identified in the Class Environmental Assessment by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) for Timber Management on Crown Lands in Ontario. The west portion of the Forest is bordered by Wabakimi Provincial Park, the south-west portion of the Forest by the Lake Nipigon Forest and the southern portion of the forest is bordered by the Kenogami Forest. The Ogoki Forest is located north of the Municipality of Greenstone. Greenstone encompasses the towns of Nakina, Geraldton, Longlac, Jellicoe, Caramat, Orient Bay, and Beardmore.

The management unit is located within the MNRF’s Nipigon District - Northwest Region. The MNRF offices for the Nipigon District are located in Nipigon and Geraldton and the MNRF Northwest Regional office is located in the City of Thunder Bay. The Ogoki Forest is currently a Crown Management Unit managed by the Nipigon District MNRF and through a Forestry Agreement with the licensee, Agoke Development Limited Partnership.

Stay involved

The approval date of the Contingency Plan is tentatively scheduled for March 12, 2020.

The MNRF 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 MNRF 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, District Business Coordinator, at (807)-887-5012.