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Natural Resources
January 14, 2010
Forest Management Planning Process Begins in Central
Region
The Department of Natural Resources will start public
discussion on the preparation of the new five-year
operating plan for Forest Management Districts 10, 11,
12 and 13 in central Newfoundland with an initial
meeting on January 20, 2010.
This first session is open to all individuals and
organizations interested in, or affected by, forest
management activities in these districts. This includes
area residents, community leaders, commercial timber
harvesters, domestic wood cutters, outfitters and
environmental organizations. The session will be held at
7 p.m. at the Mount Peyton Hotel in Grand Falls-Windsor.
"We undertake this planning process every five years as
part of our approach to sustainable forest management in
the development of operational plans for forestry
activity," said the Honourable Kathy Dunderdale,
Minister of Natural Resources and Minister Responsible
for the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency. "We want to
engage the public and interest groups at the beginning
of this process so we can identify and address any
potential conflicts prior to developing the operating
plan."
The five-year plan details forestry activities within
operating areas that are consistent with the province's
sustainable forest management strategy and the principle
of sustainable development.
The session on January 20, 2010, will explain the
planning process. Representatives from various interest
groups or any individual can participate on a planning
team, which will meet regularly until the final plan is
complete. The team will identify and evaluate differing
values and work together to address concerns raised
during the process.
The planning team must accomplish its task within the
boundaries of existing legislation, regulations and
policies, with the goal of preparing a document that is
mutually acceptable to all planning team members. The
planning process is expected to take six to seven months
to complete. The plan will then be submitted to the
Minister of Environment and Conservation for
environmental assessment.
Districts 10, 11, 12 and 13 include the following broad
areas: Bishop's Falls (Sunday Pond and Miguel Lake areas
along the Bay d'Espoir Highway); Grand Falls-Windsor
(New Bay Lake, Middleton Lake, Lemottes, Paradise Lake
and Noel Paul areas); Badger (Badger Lake, North and
South Twin Lakes, Exploits River and Joe Glodes Pond
areas); Millertown, Buchans Junction and Buchans (Red
Indian Lake, Valley Brook, Harpoon Brook, Victoria
River, Lloyd's River and Portage Pond areas).
For more information on the planning process, please
contact Dave Poole, Regional Ecosystem Planner, at
709-256-1416.
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Media contact:
Tracy Barron
Director of Communications
Department of Natural Resources
709-729-5282, 690-8241
tracybarron@gov.nl.ca
2010 01 14
11:20 a.m.
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