Solace Wildlands - Public Comment Deadline

Monday, 25 May 2009 16:51

A review of the Long Term Management Direction (LTMD) for the Sudbury Forest is going on right now--deadline is June 3rd.) There will be an open house in Sudbury in late June. Now is our best chance to ensure logging plans take our concerns seriously.

The sooner you comment, the better chance there is to have an impact - write a letter now, then plan to attend the open house to see how your comments were incorporated. See notes below for ideas on letter writing. FOT has reviewed the LTMD and submitted our initial comments in which we stated our opposition to the Sturgeon River Crossing Proposal. http://www.friendsoftemagami.org/images/FOT-Sudbury%20FMP-review.pdf

Other items in the LTMD include road density, strengthening protections for cultural heritage and recreation values, old growth forest, and access control effectiveness.

All relevant information can be found at the Vermillion Forest Management website http://sudburyforest.com/publicnotices.html

A detailed map of the proposed crossing of Sturgeon River Waterway Park is here: http://sudburyforest.com/SupDocs/LTMD%20corridor%20maps/Solace.pdf

How to write an effective letter, and what to include:

The best letters begin with a short, personal view as to why you are concerned.

Start with why this is important to you personally…recent travel to the area, need for remoteness/wilderness/etc.

Here are some ideas for content:

- The northeastern portion of the Sudbury Forest Management Unit contains unique cultural and heritage values, including _____. These values must receive enhanced protection. To begin, the Sudbury FMP must state that it recognizes the area’s nastawgan or traditional travel routes, campsites, and viewpoints, in its entirety, as a cultural and recreational value for aboriginal and non-aboriginal people alike.

-Canoe routes, etc. as resource for recreation, tourism, spritual fulfillment.

-Support for FOT’s recommendations re. campsite (120 m), heritage point features (10 m/200m), and viewpoints (120 m/6 km), and the protection of the following popular viewpoints: Wolf Mountain, Wolf Lake Ridge, McConnell Fire Tower, The Elephant on Chiniguchi Lake, and The Gate on the Sturgeon River.

- ask for larger reserves on parks and conservation reserves, give reasons if possible

- No increase in road density in the northeastern portion of the unit.

- Improved motorized access controls, monitoring, prosecution, and public reporting.

- Oppose any new bridge on the Sturgeon River!! Provincial parks are not wilderness areas to be bartered away for economic convenience. No new bridge should be allowed across the Sturgeon River to access the Solace Wildlands. This matter is dealt with very clearly in the recently completed Temagami Area Park Management Plan, which prohibits new roads in the Sturgeon River Provincial Park.

Send your comments to: Tim Lehman (MNR Sudubry) This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and to Roel Teunissen (Ontario Parks Planner), This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

cc to Vermillion Forest Management This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and Viki Mather, Local Citizen’s Committee This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The deadline for public comment is June 3rd.