Stage Two: Review of proposed Long-Term Management Direction for the 2021 – 2031 Forest Management Plan for the Bancroft Minden Forest

The Ministry, Bancroft Minden Forest Company Inc. (BMFC) and the Bancroft Minden Local Citizens’ Committee (LCC) invite you to participate in the development of the 2021-2031 Forest Management Plan (FMP) for the Bancroft Minden Forest.

The planning process

The FMP 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 FMP occurred on October 15, 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 (LTMD) for the forest
• the areas which could reasonably be harvested, and the preferred areas for harvest operations, during the ten-year period of the plan
• to request contributions to the background information to be used in planning

How to get involved

To facilitate your review, a summary of the proposed LTMD for the forest can be obtained electronically on the Ontario government website. 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 electronically.

• 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 electronically: draft First Nation and Métis Background Information Report if communities agree
• 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
• 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 (LCC) to date

The above information can be made available by contacting BMFC and/or the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) during normal office hours for a period of 30 days September 15, 2020 – October 15, 2020.

Comments on the proposed LTMD for the Bancroft Minden Forest must be received by Corinne Arthur of the planning team by October 15, 2020.

Remote meetings with representatives of the planning team and the LCC can be requested at any time during the planning process. Reasonable opportunities to remotely 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:

MNRF Contact
Corinne Arthur, Regional Planning Forester
Email: corinne.arthur@ontario.ca
Phone: 705-313-3274

BMFC Contact
Svetlana Zeran, Bancroft Minden Forest Company.
Phone: 613-332-6890 
Email: svetlana@bmfci.ca 

LCC Contact
Jane Dumas
E-mail: mayor@southalgonquin.ca 

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 2020 Forest Management Planning Manual (Part A, Section 2.4.1).

About the forest

The Bancroft Minden Forest is in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Bancroft District which will be the lead District for forest management. The District is administered by Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Southern Region. The area included in the planning process lies within Haliburton County, Hastings County, District of Nipissing, Victoria County, Peterborough County and District of Muskoka.

The Bancroft Minden Forest management unit lies within the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Forest and is dominated by white pine, maple, oak and poplar with lesser amounts of birch, balsam fir, red pine, cedar and hemlock. 

The Bancroft Minden Forest is managed by Bancroft Minden Forest Company of Bancroft, Ontario. Bancroft Minden Forest Company is a partnership comprised of traditional Crown wood harvesters and users in the unit. The area of the Bancroft Minden Forest currently supplies both softwood and hardwood timber and residual to a wide assortment of local sawmills, pulp and paper mills and board plants. 

The anticipated dates the forest management plan will be in effect are for the 10-year period from 2021-2031.

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 - JAN 2021

Stage Four - Information Centre: Review of Draft Forest Management Plan - APR 2021

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

If you would like to be added to a mailing list to be notified of public involvement opportunities, please contact Jennifer Card at jennifer.card@ontario.ca.

A final opportunity to inspect the approved plan before it is implemented will take place during the inspection of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry-approved Forest Management Plan (Stage Five), which is tentatively scheduled for August 2021.

The implementation date of the FMP is tentatively scheduled for 2021.

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: Shari MacDonald by email: shari.macdonald@ontario.ca.

An alternate to the government contact for this notice is:
Svetlana Zeran, R.P.F.
Plan Author
Bancroft Minden Forest Company
Phone: 613-332-6890 
Email: svetlana@bmfci.ca