Timmins Local Citizens Committee

 

Minutes of May 26, 2010

 

May 26, 2010

LCC hours:  48 hours

Year to Date: 48

Total: 5887.4

 

Date:   May 26, 2010

 

Location: Ontario Government Complex, White Pine Boardroom                                                              

Present: Bill Russell, Gail Krawchuk, Barry Edwards, James Naveau, Bob Bielek, Robert Calhoun, Mark Joron, Ron Johnson, Alan Moyle, Lino Morandin, Scott Tam

 

Regrets: Kees Pols, Andre Chartand, Dave Stringer, Melanie Johnson, Gilbert Fortin, Jenny Millson

 

Absent:  George Sackenay, Rodney Wincikaby

 

MNR: Glen McFarlane, Nikki Wood, Randy Pickering, Derrick Romain

 

Guests: Murray Haase, Fire Management Supervisor Northeast Region, Timmins/Kirkland Lake, Rodger Leith, Resource Analyst, Northeast Region

 

Call to Order:

Bill Russell called the meeting to order at 6:41 p.m.

 

Summary of Action Items for This Meeting:

Action Item 05-10-01: Kees Pols and Andre Chartrand require submitting their work plans for the projects they have submitted for funding by the Timmins LCC.

Action Item 05-10-02: Glen will have someone attend a future meeting to have a presentation and a discussion on bears.

 

Review and Approval of March 31, 2010 Minutes:

  • Motion to accept- Ron Johnson
  • Seconded by- Alan Moyle
  • Carried

Review and Approval of tonight’s agenda:

  • Motion to accept- Robert Calhoun
  • Seconded by- Bob Bielek
  • Carried

Letters/Correspondence

  • No correspondence to report
  • The LCC has purchased “Pack it in Pack it out” littering signs to be posted throughout the District. Signs will require backing material. Need to look into options. OSB Strand board had been used in the past.
  • The Timmins LCC still requires the work plan for the projects being funded for the Timmins Fur Council and the MRCA.

Action Item 05-10-01: Kees Pols and Andre Chartrand require submitting their work plans for the projects they have submitted for funding by the Timmins LCC.

 

 

 

 

 

District Manager Update- Randy Pickering

Randy provided the Timmins LCC members with the following update:

  • Timmins District has hired 2 new staff members, Kyle Aird, Area Supervisor for Gogama Watershed Area Team and Steve James, Forest Technical Specialist for the Porcupine Area Team in the Timmins office,
  •  Broad scale fishery monitoring will resume in the Timmins District shortly; this program is ongoing annually to assess fish populations provincially. A portion of the lakes throughout the region are sampled. The lakes are chosen by size and species of fish. The  two man crew is currently attending a two week training session at Dividing Lake.
  • 11 District staff was pulled from regular duty to assist and support Fire staff with a number of fires that have started including two large fires, Fire 7 and 9.
  • A blandings turtle was found in the Timmins area and reported to our office; we are presently dealing with that find.
  • We are receiving wolf and coyote sightings west of Timmins; this has been ongoing.
  • Grant’s OSB mill in Englehart has been purchased by Georgia Pacific; our staff is working on the transfer of the forest resource licences associated with that facility.
  • Presently, we are dealing with low water levels and issues associated with these levels; we are dealing with a 1/100 year drought condition based on local records. For example, Horwood Lake has an inflow rate of 11 cms. The inflow is matching the outflow of the dam. The outflow of 10 cms is needed to protect the walleye and sturgeon spawn down stream. The lake level measured at the May long weekend was 1.89 metres below the summer band minimum. Other lakes measure as follows: Mattagami Lake is 1.5 metres below minimum, Mesomikenda is 1.2 metres below minimum, Kenogamissis is normal, Peterlong Lake is 2 metres low, Fredrickhouse is .8 meters below minimum.
  • There are funds available to do local environmental enhancement and remediation projects through the Ontario Community Environmental Fund. This fund is made available through fines that are collected by polluters that have violated regulations. The funds available for this area amount to $8600. The funds can be accessed by incorporated groups and aboriginal communities. The deadline for applications is June 28, 2010.

Q: Why were the lakes with dams allowed to draw down lake levels as far as they did knowing we had very little snow in the bush?

A: The melting snow in the spring is a contributing factor in the spring lake fill but is not a major factor. The majority of the fill takes place as a result of the spring rains in combination with the snow melt, which we did not receive.

Q: Did the dry spring affect the walleye spawn.

A: This is hard to predict; MNR staff did monitor the spawn at strategic locations throughout the District this spring. There may have been a negative effect.

Q: When Georgia Pacific purchased Grant Forest Products was the Timmins mill part of the sale. A: No, the Timmins mill was not part of the deal.

Q: What is the MNR going to do with the wood dump located on the Dalton Road that was part of the Grant’s Timmins mill.

A: The district will be investigating and dealing with the wood dump associated with the Timmins facility.

Q: What is the status of the Timmins fish stocking program?

A: The district staff met with concerned fishermen regarding fish stocked lakes and their lack of success in catching fish; the district staff intend to follow up with the concerns. Possibly look at doing some population assessments.

Q: What is the status of the Kamiskotia tailings rehabilitation project?

A: The project is still ongoing. There has been very successful progress (95% complete) made to date on rehabbing the site.

 

 

Caribou Presentation-Rodger Leith

Rodger provided the LCC members with a brief overview of the caribou species, caribou conservation and management considerations and highlights of the caribou Conservation Plan and ties to forest management. The following is a summary of points made in his discussion:

  • Caribou populations in Ontario can be traced to the last ice age
  • It was the dominant ungulate in the Ontario for thousands of years
  • The caribou were placed on the species endangered list in 2007 and a recovery strategy is being drafted.
  • Urban and industrial development is the main cause of caribou habitat recession.
  • The forest dwelling, woodland caribou vs the tundra dwelling caribou are at risk.
  • The woodland caribou are at risk right across Canada
  • A caribou requires 200-4,000 sq Kms. of home range
  • Its primary winter food is lichen
  • Large impact on caribou population is due to forest fragmentation caused by human urbanization and development
  • Landscape connectivity is the largest single impact followed by wolf and bear predation.
  • Introduction of the Caribou Conservation Plan includes the incorporation of forest management practices that would emulate disturbance patterns that are spatially linked
  • Ontario’s conservation goal is to maintain self sustaining populations in its original range and secure populations along the great lakes coast line.
  • Good forestry practices= provision for good caribou habitat
  • There is a need to align forest practices with enhanced silviculture objectives and provide a solid road strategy to maintain good quality habitat.
  • Caribou Insurance Policy will provide for:
    • habitat with suitable spatial arrangement
    • silviculture prescriptions with follow-up effectiveness monitoring
    • Population health will improve over time with effective forest management practices

Rodger’s presentation was followed up with a question/answer period as follows:

  • Q: Would it be more effective to target the caribou predators to assist with enhancing the caribou population?
  • A: No; there have been studies conducted in regards to controlling predators by targeting and reducing them. After the targeting ceased, the population of predators rebounded very quickly to its original numbers.
  • Q: Sultan Road was an area that had an original herd; would you look at re-locating animals into that location.
  • A: The Sultan Road area did have caribou at one time; the opportunity does exist in terms of re-locating the animals back to that location. There has to be consideration towards present conditions as there may have been too drastic of a change in the forest in these locations.
  • Q: Why is southern Ontario separated from the range.
  • A: The same reason exists for southern Ontario as was mentioned for the Sultan Road location. Too much change in the landscape will hinder any re-introductions in these locations.
  • Q: Will the development of the “Ring of Fire” affect the caribou.
  • A: It is difficult to answer this question as we don’t know all the particulars of that project as yet. The actual mine would probably make a small impact on the landscape. What could cause impacts are access roads, railway and power lines depending on their needs. This would all have to be taken into consideration during the development stages of the project.
  • Q: In the forest management planning process are areas being protected for habitat over periods of time.
  • A: There will be areas protected to enable for contiguous habitat.
  • Q: Will these areas affect the allowable harvest area and subsequent volumes.
  • A: It all depends on the spatial exercise for habitat. It could drop the AHA by as much as 10-15%

 

 

Fire Strategy-Murray Haase

Murray provided the Timmins LCC members with a presentation on the provincial fire strategy and fire control implementation in the field. The following is a summary of the main points he made:

  • The province has a weather forecasting system set in place to monitor and forecast weather during the fire season (April1-October 31st)
  • Through the monitoring of weather, fire weather danger forecasting is derived and information is provided to each fire base in the province daily at 0800 and 1300 hours.
  • Fire towers were once used to detect fire starts and were manned daily throughout the fire season
  • There is a new Fire reporting line in Ontario this year. The number is 310-3473 (FIRE)
  • Presently, fire detection aircraft are used to fly grid lines over areas throughout the province based on the fire weather index ratings of the day.
  • There are 6 fire bases situated throughout the region located in Chapleau, Cochrane, Timmins, Sudbury, Wawa and Pembroke.
  • Fire crews are located at these bases and are put on alert status as the fire weather index ratings change. For instance a crew on red alert must be able to gear up and be mobile within five minutes notice.
  • Fire crews are equipped with state of the art equipment such as GPS, satellite phones and radios for effective communication and orientation along with their fire fighting equipment
  • After a fire is detected, information is transferred to the sector where the fire is occurring
  • An initial scouting report takes place; information provided includes location, size, fire behaviour, types of fuel and values within the vicinity.
  • A fire crew is dispatched by a medium helicopter. A Crew of four people are flown to the fire location.
  • Some fires are too hot or are threatening values are bombed by CL 415 or twin otter aircraft.
  • The bombers take their direction from bird dogs that fly at high level and direct traffic
  • The bombers will not drop loads on a fire unless they are certain that nobody is on the ground.
  • Crews on the ground work the fire hot spots by grubbing up roots, and hosing down deep embedded embers.
  • A fire is not declared out until heat sensing scanning equipment (AGA scans) is flown over the fire area or three days or longer after the last hot spot is detected. Formal fire designations include NUC (not under control), BHE (Being held)
  • Type 2 contract crews are brought in where longer fires occur. This frees up regular crews for future initial attacks on new fires.
  • Some fires are human caused; some fires are investigated and have lead to successful capture of arsonists.

Murray’s presentation was followed up with a question/answer period as follows:

  • Q: What happens when people are caught starting a fire
  • A: Depending on the situation, people can be charged, taken to court and can be held responsible for damage costs and fire suppression costs.
  • Q: How high are the water bombers above ground when they release their load.
  • A: It all depends on whether they want to  mist the fire or drop an intense load on a hot spot

 

 

 

Romeo Malette Forest Update- Nikki Wood

  • 1 aggregate revision to date
  • Tembec did a spring haul on the Dalton Road using central tire inflation system on their haul trucks. This was a very successful study as there was minimal damage of the road surface during the hauling period. The haul trucks were very effective in working on soft sand jack pine areas

 

Abitibi River Forest Update-Nikki Wood

  • Abitibi River Forest is presently working within a two year Contingency Plan
  • There have been two planning team meetings held to date to set up membership of the new planning team and discuss the terms of reference
  • Not sure if the new plan will be an 8 year or 10 year plan; stay tuned.
  • MNR staff are presently working on processing harvest licences and approvals for this year’s forest operations.

 

 

Round Table-All

·         Good meeting

·         We want to hear more about forest tenure reform

·         Would like to have a discussion on bears

·         Excellent presentations this evening

Action Item 05-10-02: Glen will have someone attend a future meeting to have a presentation and a discussion on bears.

 

The meeting adjourned at 9:00 pm

           

Next Meeting is scheduled for June 23, 2010 at the Fire Boardroom of the OGC.

 

Next meeting scheduled for June 23, 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:

 

 

 

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

Gail Krawchuk                                                            Bill Russell

LCC Secretary                                                            Chair