Haavaldsrud - Woodlands News

The Ministry of the Environment denied the Northern Algoma Wilderness Outfitters Associations (Remote Tourism) bump-up request. A decision was made that an individual environmental assessment (EA) was not warranted. The MNR has as part of the IR process stated that they will ensure the enforcement of the signage program remains a priority. They have also stated that an enhanced compliance and enforcement strategy will be prepared for the Nagagami Forest.

The Nagagami Forest Management Plan (FMP) has been approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources and signed off on. However; due to two bump-up requests the 2001 - 2021 FMP has been deemed not implementable. In order for the mills that rely on the Nagami Forest to operate, a Contingency Plan was prepared to run from April 1, 2001 until October 1, 2001.

The Contingency Plan allowed harvest to continue in areas of the forest that had no impact on the two bump requests, namely harvest blocks over 260 hectares and harvest blocks in remote tourism zones. Unfortunately for our company the Contingency Plan did not have enough summer ground to enable our cutting crews to work for the whole term of the plan. The plan also hindered our ability to construct road required for next summers cut.

As we worked under the Contingency Plan, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of the Environment went through Issue Resolution process on the two bump requests. A decision that was to be rendered in mid June was finally reached in late August. This leaves only a month to prepare a revision of the Annual Work Schedule to allow operations to continue from October 1, 2001 until April 1, 2002.

A decision on a bump-up request by Earthroots has also been reached. The MOE has ruled that an individual environmental assessment (EA) is not required with four conditions attached to the decision. Three of the conditions pertain to repeating of the Issue Resolution process within the next three months. At the conclusion of the IR process the MNR shall make the amendments it considers appropriate. The fourth condition is that the MNR will restrict the size of harvest blocks on the Nagagami Forest to 260 hectares or less until the IR process is complete.

The conditions on the Earthroots decision has forced a rewriting of the Annual Work Schedule with all blocks that were designed over 260 hectares to be pared down to 260 or less. Some harvest blocks that were less than 260 also had to be scaled down due to the restrictions on standing timber required between harvest blocks.

The revised Annual Work Schedule was presented to the Nagagami Local Citizens Committee on September 13. The new blocks were reviewed by the LCC. The MNR stated that because the new Annual Work Schedule is a revision, they would like the LCC's input on two public notification options before work on the AWS can take place .One option is public notification of the commencement of the AWS on October 1, 2001. The second option is public notification as well as a 15 day public review period. The MNR Wawa District Manager has now taken the LCCs recommendation and will be deciding on starting date for the Annual Work Schedule some time in September.