Canada's largest remaining Old Growth Red Pine forest may be open to logging.
Written By Mike McIntosh
Chair, Friends of Chiniguchi
Sounds unlikely right? ... Think again.
As many are aware, the Wolf Lake area, located in the Southwest corner of Temagami, along the Chiniguchi waterway, contains the largest contiguous Old Growth Red Pine forest in all of Canada - and most likely the world. The trees that make up Wolf Lake's forests average 260 yeas in age and cover over 1600ha of land. The area has survived several major forest fires, mining and exploration activity, and even some localized logging, however, this magnificent pocket of Old Growth remains.
New developments, unfortunately, are threatening this national treasure. For years, the Wolf Lake area has had a forest reserve status protecting the Old Growth stands from logging interests. In recent years, this area was included in the Ontario Government's original plan for the Chiniguchi Waterway Provincial Park, in effect, elevating the level of protection.
Today, however, this Old Growth forest is faced with a new threat. Due to the fact that existing mining claims overlap the entire Wolf Lake region, the Ontario Government's plan for a Provincial Park was ammended, and this area was left out of the Chiniguchi Waterway Provincial Park. This is particularly worrisome due to the fact that without the protection that only a Park could offer, the fate of these trees is uncertain.
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources refers to this process as "disentanglement", and has yet to make a final decision on the fate of Wolf Lake's Old Growth forest. Unfortunately, recent communication from Ontario Parks and the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines would indicate that the area will likely be stripped of all it's protection and will revert back to an Enhanced Management Area (EMA).
Will they eventually include it in the Waterway Park? At the very least, will it hold it's current status of Forest Reserve? Only time will tell...
However, the time to speak up is now. Contact Donna Cansfield, Minister of Natural Resources at dcansfield.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org and voice your support for the protection of Wolf Lake's Old Growth forest.
Thank you,
Mike McIntosh
Chair, Friends of Chiniguchi
Also see related stories:
www.friendsofchiniguchi.com
www.ottertooth.com/Temagami/Sites/chini5.htm
