Dead trees to be salvaged near Lake Despair

Public info session set for April 3–
A salvage operation proposed to reduce the fire hazard presented by dead and dying trees in the Lake Despair area will be the focus of an open house tomorrow (April 3) at the Naicatchewenin community hall.
The open house will give the public the opportunity to get more information on the salvage operation, ask questions, and provide input on a proposed amendment to the 2007-10 Crossroute Forest Management Plan that would be required for the salvaging to take place.
The open house, being held by the Ministry of Natural Resource and AbitibiBowater, will run from 2-8 p.m.
MNR spokesperson Ralph Horn said last week the timber to be potentially salvaged was damaged by the jackpine budworm infestation that began in the summer of 2005.
While salvage operations conducted in the district usually are done for the purpose of wood recovery, this salvage operation is being proposed to reduce the fire hazard presented by the dead and dying trees.
“We have significant areas of mortality. Some are of more immediate concern than others,” Horn explained. “We are looking at one relatively small area—in the 140-hectare range—on the southeast side of Lake Despair.
“It is around some significant values—cottages, homes, tourism lodges, Naicatchewenin First Nation—and the MNR is quite concerned the fire hazard represented by the dead trees is significant enough that some kind of action is warranted,” added Horn.
“We’re quite concerned, and our fire section is very concerned, that should something start in there, it might be difficult to control.”
Horn said part of the MNR’s assessment of this proposed salvage operation is the consideration of the potential impacts on stakeholders, such as residents and lodge owners, in the Lake Despair area.
“The important point is we need to talk to the public,” he noted.
“To reduce the fire hazard, we would need to get in there in the spring,” he explained. “Traditionally, an area on Lake Despair or at a cottaging/tourism lake we wouldn’t go near until the winter.
“So there’s some things we need to present to the public to determine the public’s sensitivity towards cutting when we normally wouldn’t cut,” added Horn.
Stakeholder input will be used during the planning of operations.
“We have heard from some people in the area. We’ve heard from people speaking on behalf of other people,” said Horn. “One lady has told me directly—she lives up there—and she said, ‘Cut right up to my property line.’
“And she wanted to know if she could have the dead tree removed on her property, as well.
“But by no means have we heard from the majority of people up there,” Horn stressed. “What we’re hoping with the open house is that there’s enough opportunity for everybody to come out and talk to us somehow, or contact us, and let us know how they feel about our proposal or just logging that piece off in general.”
Horn said the open house won’t include any formal presentations, but be more of a come-and-go event, where people can drop by, look at maps of the proposed salvage operation, talk to AbitibiBowater woodlands staff and MNR forestry and fire staff, and offer input.
Information gathered at the open house will be used in the planning process.
Following the completion of planning, the approved amendment will be available for public comment for a 15-day period at the AbitibiBowater woodlands office and by appointment at the MNR’s Fort Frances District office.
Further consultation may be required if concerns are raised about this amendment.
For further information, contact Horn at the MNR office (274-8614).
In related news, Horn said the jackpine budworm population isn’t the threat it once was. For a second summer in a row, there will be no spraying for jackpine budworm in Rainy River District.
“From the results we’ve got back from our population plots out there, the estimate is for low population occurrence, probably back to ‘normal’ range,” he explained.
“The jackpine budworm is always there; it’s a natural part of the environment. But from time to time, it explodes,” added Horn, noting the jackpine budworm population increases and decreases on a cycle spanning decades.