Timmins Local Citizens Committee

 

Minutes of February 24th, 2010

 

February 24th, 2010

LCC hours:  57hours

Year to Date: 288

Total: 5812.4

 

Date:   February 24th

Location: Ontario Government Complex, Fire Boardroom

                                                                       

Present: Kees Stryland, Rusty Fink, Mark Joron, Barry Edwards, Lino Morandin, Bill Russell, Andre Chartrand, Robert Calhoun, Dave Stringer, Kees Pols

 

Regrets:, Allan Moyle, Bob Bielek, Gail Krawchuk, Melanie Johnson, Gilbert Fortin Jenny Millson Scott Tam, Stephanie Thibeault, Ron Johnson

 

Absent:  George Sackenay, Rodney Wincikaby, James Naveau

 

MNR: Nikki Wood, Randy Pickering, Derrick Romain

 

Guests:

 

Call to Order:

Bill Russell called the meeting to order at 6:40 p.m.

 

Summary of Action Items for This Meeting:

 

Action Item 02-10-01: Randy to communicate to the LCC when Sandy Falls and Wawaitin will be in service.

Action Item 02-10-02: Provide an opportunity/presentation at the next LCC meeting on Caribou Management in unit 30.

Action Item 02-10-03: Provide the LCC with the LCC budget information.

Action Item 02-10-04: Nikki to provide the Abitibi River Forest link to Mark for inclusion on the website.

Action Item 02-10-05: Nikki to provide Mark with an updated membership list for the website.

Action Item 02-10-06: Nikki to resend the electronic FMP website link out to the LCC.

Action Item 02-10-07: As part of an information item, Nikki will send out to the LCC, the revision and amendment table for both the Nighthawk Forest and Romeo Malette Forest.

Action Item 01-10-08: That the Timmins LCC have a presentation on chemical spray and the impact on mammals, insects etc.

Action Item 01-10-09: Change the standing agenda to include a DM question period.

 

Review and Approval of January 13th, 2010 Minutes:

  • Motion to accept- Kees Stryland
  • Seconded by- Mark Joron
  • Carried

Review and Approval of tonight’s agenda:

  • Motion to accept- Rusty Fink
  • Seconded by- Robert Calhoun
  • Carried

Letters/Correspondence

  • A brief discussion was held in memoriam of Grant Tunnecliffe past  Timmins District LCC member
  • Regional Director sent a letter of appreciation to the LCC thanking them for their commitment and time in getting the Cochrane Area Forest Contingency Plan completed and now approved.

 

District Manager Update- Randy Pickering

Randy provided the Timmins LCC members with the following update:

  • Aerial Moose surveys are finishing up, not all districts were able to complete the task due to weather. We will provide the LCC with a presentation once the information is compiled.
  • Values/stick nest flying is slated to happen in the district over the next week or so.
  • Fisheries Management assessment for zone 8 will be happening this year and Derrick will discuss this later on during this meeting.
  • On the renewable energy side, the upper Mattagami is continuing and the district is finalizing the approvals for the Lower Sturgeon. We are having ongoing meeting for the Mattagami Lake Dam
  • For other applications in our district there is just the hydro application for the Kamiskotia Falls site which is fairly small and not really a priority.
  • There is still no activity on the Grassy River.

 

Action Item 02-10-01: Randy to communicate to the LCC when Sandy Falls and Wawawaiten will be in service.

Action Item 02-10-02: Provide an opportunity/presentation at the next LCC meeting on Caribou Management in unit 30.

 

Staffing:

  • The District is finishing the process for a Senior Forest Technical Specialist in Timmins and the Watershed Area Supervisor position in Gogama. Hopefully there will be people in place in the next month or so.
  • We hope to begin the competition process for a Senior Fish and Wildlife Specialist and once that is filled, it will leave the district with only one permanent vacancy to fill, the Resource Liaison Officer.

 

LCC Survey for State of the Forest Report- Nikki Wood

Nikki requested the committee to fill in the report and hand it back to her by the end of the meeting if they have not already done so.

Action Item 02-10-03: Provide the LCC with the LCC budget information.

 

Fisheries Management Zone 8- Derrick Romain

Derrick provided the Timmins LCC with a presentation on the proposed Fisheries Management for Zone 8 (see attachment).

A summary of the Q’s and A’s included:

·         Q: Which lakes will be targeted and how often?

·         A: There are 9 lakes randomly chosen in the Timmins District. They will be sampled every 5 years.

·         Q: What type of nets will be used?

·         A: Various gill nets as it is a destructive sample (recording of contaminates, fish age etc.) and we want to make sure we capture everything. These nets are the best suited for the task at hand.

·         Q: Who will be doing the work?

·         A: We are looking for 2 individuals to work for 3 months. If anybody knows anyone, please let Glen or Derrick know. Preferably the candidates will be in University or college with a fish and wildlife discipline.

·         The website at the end of Derrick’s presentation provides more information.

 

Timmins LCC Website Statistics- Mark Joron

Mark gave a demonstration of his statistical tracking for the use of Timmins LCC website. We were able to determine which day there were visitors and how many. Of special note is that the site had almost 200 unique individuals that had viewed it at one time or another. We were able to view how they linked to the site i.e. google etc. It also tracks the hours, terms of reference, minutes, membership etc. If anyone wants to add links to specific sites, just forward it to Mark and he will post it on the website.

 

Action Item 02-10-04: Nikki to provide the Abitibi River Forest link to Mark for inclusion on the website.

Action Item 02-10-05: Nikki to provide Mark with an updated membership list for the website.

Action Item 02-10-06: Nikki to resend the electronic FMP website link out to the LCC.

Action Item 02-10-07: As part of an information item, Nikki will send out to the LCC, the revision and amendment table for both the Nighthawk Forest and Romeo Malette Forest.

 

Romeo Malette Forest update – Nikki Wood

  • One revision was recently approved; it was to include 3 additional harvest blocks primarily for spring wood and enable Tembec and Grant to continue harvesting into April.
  • No other issues or planning items of note.

 

Nighthawk Forest update – Nikki Wood

  • As of April 1, 2010, the Nighthawk forest will no longer exist.
  • There was one revision recently submitted that Timmins District did not accept. It was for an access road across a beaver dam. The district felt it is too late in the year for freezing.

 

Abitibi River Forest AWS- Nikki Wood/ Rusty Fink/ Kees Stryland

  • The ARF will be managed with 20 plus separate harvest licenses.
  • FRMG will be managing it for the shareholders.
  • There is a good chance that the LTMD will have to be redone to account for Caribou Habitat strategies and if that is the case, it might require an additional year of contingency and a whole new FMP.
  • The planning team has not started up yet but it will once more direction for the caribou habitat is obtained.

A summary of the Q’s and A’s included:

·         Q: Will there be any accountability by the companies? i.e. the requirement of a bond or some sort of assurance that crown charges will be paid

·         A: Tenure reform may provide room for a bond, still being worked out at this time.

·         Q: Is the area allocated for harvesting open for mineral exploration?

·         A: Yes, presently you can claim stake any area but the caribou habitat regulations could affect this.

 

Timmins LCC Discussion on the Roles and responsibilities with respect to the ARF- Nikki Wood

Nikki facilitated a discussion on where the Timmins LCC see their roles with respect to the Abitibi River Forest. Some of the main comments were:

  • Cochrane has the lead and we have some input.
  • We should have some say
  • It is one of those things where it is such a huge forest.
  • Are we interested in all amendments or just the ones on the old NHF?
  • Some do not directly apply but indirectly they might.
  • Very important that we all still be part of it, keep our fingers in the pie.
  • Interested in planning, what about operational decisions? Especially on the ground for our own geography?
  • Have to have ongoing updates of what the others are doing.
  • If somebody stops at a line we should work together for efficiencies.
  • Would like revisions as information items.
  • The LCC represents the people that are not here.

 

Round Table-All

·         Good meeting

·         It was asked if in Forest Management Planning if the aboriginal consultation provides veto power. We clarified that we consult and if required we mitigate, adjust, tweak etc. as we do for all issues ex: tourist outfitters, trapping etc.

·         Learned more at this meeting than the others so far. Seems everyone can speak their mind.

·         Safari Club international hand out available for the members along with an invite to the Macintyre arena to see L'Homme Panache - The rack Man Wednesday March 10, 2010 at 7pm

·         Would like to have a presentation on chemical spraying and the effects on small mammals, insects, birds etc.

·         Glad the date was changed, end of the month works better, glad to be back.

·         Very informative, last of the month is a good date.

·         Randy suggested a change to the standing agenda where after the DM’s update we have a general question period where the members can ask the DM and questions and if he does not know the answer etc., he will get back to them.

 

 

Action Item 01-10-08: That the Timmins LCC have a presentation on chemical spray and the impact on mammals, insects etc.

Action Item 01-10-09: Change the agenda to include a DM question period.

 

The meeting adjourned at 8:35 pm

           

Next Meeting

 

Next meeting scheduled for March 31st, 2010 at the Fire Boardroom of the Ontario Government Complex. Please contact Gail Krawchuk at gga@ntl.sympatico.ca if you cannot attend.

 

 

Minutes taken by:                                                       Minutes approved by:

 

 

 

……………………                                                      …………………………

Nikki Wood for Gail Krawchuk                                   Bill Russell

LCC Secretary                                                            Chair