Nipissing Forest Forest Management Plan 2009 - 2019 List of Exceptions for the FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN for the NIPISSING FOREST Ministry of Natural Resources North Bay District and Northeast Region Nipissing Forest Resource Management Inc. for the 10-year period from April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2019 All silvicultural treatments in the silvicultural ground rules which are exceptions to the recommendations in the silvicultural guides, and all operational prescriptions for areas of concern which are exceptions to the specific direction or recommendations (standards and guidelines) in the applicable forest management guides, are provided in this list of exceptions. The specific section of the forest management plan that provides documentation of the exception is also referenced in this list. Description of Exception Specific Section of Plan Full tree skidding of soft limbed trees in PWUS, 3.3.2, 4.7.2, Supplementary LWMX, HE, HDUS BY (Seeding Cut stage). Documentation 6.1.11 This exception is related to two Guides, they are: A Silvicultural Guide for the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Conifer Forest in Ontario (MNR 1998), and, A Silvicultural Guide for the Tolerant Hardwood Forest in Ontario (MNR 1998). The exception is within the Silvicultural Ground Rules. The exception is to the Harvest treatment and more specifically, the Logging Method as described in the Guides. Clearcut Silviculture System using a Strip 3.3.2, 4.7.2, Supplementary Harvest Method in HDUS. This exception is Documentation 6.1.11 related to the following Guide: A Silvicultural Guide for the Tolerant Hardwood Forest in Ontario (MNR 1998). The exception is within the Silvicultural Ground Rules. The exception is to the Harvest treatment of Clearcut-Strip as described in the Guide. Plan Contributors to the FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN for the NIPISSING FOREST Ministry of Natural Resources North Bay District and Northeast Region Nipissing Forest Resource Management Inc. for the 10-year period from April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2019 PLANNING TEAM MEMBERS Peter Street, RPF Mary Lou McKeen Mark Lockhart, RPF Guylaine Thauvette, RPF Rob Keen, RPF Dave Joanisse Clifford Bastien Jr. Patrick Restoule Clayton Goulais Doug Friday Lorence Reed Rick Calhoun Norm Dokis Melanie Alkins John Salo John McNutt, RPF Rob McGregor PLANNING TEAM ADVISORS Kim Groenendyk Brent Handley Mike Regis Remi Labreche Jamie Geauvreau Dave Fluri Phil Hall Randy McLaren Ron Lee Joel Girard Robin Hill Marinus Verwey Grant Ritchie Steve Osawa Craig Crosson Robert Hunt Greg Lucking Chad Anderson John Copeland Fred Pinto Brian Fox Chris Marr Renee Carriere Donna Palermo John Thompson Edward Morris Burke Korol Emmanuel Asinas Steve Osawa Jennifer Potvin Gerry Stroud Chuck Miller Tracey Snarr Wade Murrant Brian Naylor Scott McPherson Murray Woods Al Stinson Will Kershaw Glenn Seim Mark Vincent Doug Walsh Marlo Johnson Tim Lehman Joe Johnson Joe Yaraskavitch Don Farintosh Krista Watters LOCAL CITIZENS COMMITTEE MEMBERS Lloyd Anderson, Peter Foy (alternate) Access Groups, Anglers and Hunters Dave Minden, Doug Billingsley (alternate) Cottagers Dave Joanisse, Patrick Restoule (alternate) District Aboriginal Working Group Jan Vandermeer, Brennain Lloyd (alternate) Environmental Groups Elwyn Behnke, Blayne Behnke (alternate) Independent Loggers Chris Mayne, Sarah Campbell (alternate) Municipalities, Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development Lorence Reed, Roy Summers (alternate) Naturalists John McNutt, Peter Street (alternate) Sustainable Forest Resource Licensee/Nipissing Forest Resource Management Inc. Frank Tagliamonte, Mike Roxborough (alternate) Prospectors, Mining Industry, Aggregates Tim Toeppner, Tracey Cain (alternate) Public-at-large Andy Straughan Silvicultural Contractors Jennifer McCourt, Tracey Cain (alternate) Trails John Matthews, Heinz Erb (alternate) Trappers Roy Summers Local cultural heritage groups Jan Vandermeer Education The LCC is in general agreement with the FMP as the best effort with the tools available. The Planning Team has considered many forest values and interests, some of which are diametrically opposed, and the FMP provides a reasonable balance of responses to those values and interests. It is agreed that the FMP should result in sustainability of the forest ecosystems, although not necessarily with the make-up predicted by the models. There are reservations concerning the credibility of the outputs of the models due to much of the starting condition Forest Resource Inventory (FRI) having been derived from 1989 aerial photography and limited understanding, by the LCC, of how well the models reflect the complexity of the forest in a changing climate. It is understood that the models are continually being improved and future Forest Management Plans will strive to correct past deviations from the desired outcomes. PLAN REVIEWERS Steve Osawa Craig Crosson Robert Hunt Greg Lucking Chad Anderson John Copeland Scott McPherson Brian Fox Chris Marr Renee Carriere Donna Palermo John Thompson Edward Morris Emmanuel Asinas Mary Lou McKeen Guylaine Thauvette Rob McGregor Rick Calhoun Melanie Alkins Norm Dokis Nanette Lecompte Brent Handley Mike Regis Randy McLaren John Salo Joel Girard Robin Hill Marinus Verwey Remi Labreche Randy Brousseau Dave Fluri 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................1-1 3 2.0 MANAGEMENT UNIT DESCRIPTION......................................................2-3 4 2.1 ADMINISTRATION ..........................................................................................2-3 5 2.2 FOREST DESCRIPTION ....................................................................................2-8 6 2.2.1 Geology, Soils and Sites ......................................................................................2-8 7 2.2.2 Historic Forest..................................................................................................2-12 8 2.2.3 Planning Inventory............................................................................................2-16 9 2.2.4 Fish and Wildlife Resources ..............................................................................2-24 10 2.2.5 Other Forest Resources.....................................................................................2-35 11 2.2.6 Forest Landscape Pattern..................................................................................2-42 12 2.3 EXISTING ROADS .........................................................................................2-49 13 2.4 LAND USE DESCRIPTION ..............................................................................2-51 14 2.5 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DESCRIPTION ..........................................................2-54 15 2.5.1 Overview of Social and Economic Context.........................................................2-55 16 2.5.2 Summary of Demographic Profiles ....................................................................2-56 17 2.5.3 Industrial and Non-Industrial Uses of the Forest ...............................................2-58 18 2.6 ABORIGINAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION REPORT ......................................2-69 19 2.7 VALUES MAPS .............................................................................................2-70 20 3.0 LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT DIRECTION..........................................3-73 21 3.1 INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................73 22 3.2 CURRENT FOREST CONDITION .........................................................................73 23 3.2.1 Forest Units ......................................................................................................3-73 24 3.2.2 Habitat..............................................................................................................3-79 25 3.2.3 Forest Landscape Pattern..................................................................................3-84 26 3.2.4 Other Forest Classifications..............................................................................3-86 27 3.3 SILVICULTURAL GROUND RULES ..................................................................3-87 28 3.3.1 Description .......................................................................................................3-87 29 3.3.2 Rationale for Use of Exceptions.........................................................................3-90 30 3.3.3 Strategic Silvicultural Options...........................................................................3-92 31 3.4 MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS .................................................................3-97 32 3.5 DESIRED FOREST AND BENEFITS ................................................................3-102 33 3.6 OBJECTIVES AND INDICATORS ....................................................................3-110 34 3.7 MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ..........................................................................3-133 35 3.7.1 Balancing of Objectives...................................................................................3-138 36 3.8 AVAILABLE HARVEST AREA ......................................................................3-148 37 3.9 SELECTION OF AREAS FOR OPERATIONS .....................................................3-151 38 3.10 ASSESSMENT OF OBJECTIVE ACHIEVEMENT ................................................3-154 39 3.11 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT ........................................................3-194 40 3.11.1 Introduction ................................................................................................3-194