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9/16/2017 9:03 am  #1


Algonquin Land Claim, Environmental Evaluation Report, public comments

The Government of Ontario has prepared a Draft Environmental Evaluation Report as part of the environmental assessment requirements related to the Algonquin land claim negotiations. Although the EER mainly deals with environmental effects of lands transfers (and no transfer of APP lands will happen), there is also the issue of road access and harvesting in APP. There may be an opportunity here to comment on the need for protection as park use increases over time. Comments may be made until Oct 17, 2017 and there are open house meetings at various locations... see the report links and PDF.


https://www.ontario.ca/page/algonquin-land-claim-draft-environmental-evaluation-report


https://www.ontario.ca/page/algonquin-land-claim



"Written comments can be submitted during the notice period by email to:
eerfeedback@ontario.ca or by mail to the Ontario Information Centre, Algonquins of Ontario
Land Claim, 31 Riverside Drive, Pembroke ON, K8A 8R6. "

Generally, the EER anticipates there will be a net benefit to the Ontario parks system since additional land area will be added on, but  in my mind and on the ground it's not so clear for APP. Some may recall a former parks superintendent John Winters, raising issues with the agreement having "more holes than swiss cheese".

The reference to AAP is on pp 16, 17 and more or less states that "Algonquin Provincial Park remains a park for the appropriate use and enjoyment of all people; " p13


"It has been agreed that Algonquin Provincial Park will remain a park for the appropriate use and enjoyment of all peoples... etc." p16, 17


Since APP will remain a provincial park, management will be governed by the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, so maintaining and restoring ecological integrity has to be the first and most significant management principle. Increased road access into the interior works against this and my comments will be on this issue. Evaluation needs to be science-based and as far as APP is concerned, I have my doubts that there will be a net benefit with time... but we'll see.

Sorry about the brevity here but there it's a long report and I've had enough this morning... please make comments if you feel this is an issue in the bigger picture... thanks.



 

Last edited by frozentripper (9/16/2017 9:04 am)

 

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