Tripper wrote:
And to Mike McIntosh.
If more needs to be done to help save the Wolf Lake area, please let us know so we can help.
Here's the thing: The Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) posting that allowed for public comment is now closed.
They kind of sprung this on us in June - right at the beginning of paddling season (just as I was preparing to leave on a month-long canoe trip)...
Luckily, Friends of Temagami, in their capacity as a "watchdog" over issues that affect the Temagami wilderness, were on the ball, and submitted comments to the EBR posting, addressing the concerns of their membership.
Here's where it gets interesting:
One of our contacts at MNR has told us that they received about 350 comments to the EBR posting...
And get this:
ALL of the comments were
AGAINST removal of protection for the Wolf Lake Forest Reserve.
100% of public comments were against the proposal.
Not a single comment was submitted in favour of dissolving the Forest Reserve.
Now, we're simply awaiting MNR's decision on the issue.
Here's my prediction: (anyone wanna place bets?

)
I suspect that despite this enormous outcry of public concern for this proposal to remove protective status, MNR will ignore public input - even though they requested public comments - and go ahead with their proposed plan to strip Wolf Lake of it's current Forest Reserve status, and open it up to industry.
If that happens, then that will be the time for more public support, letters, call your MPs, voice your concerns, etc...
Until MNR makes any decision public, (and when they do, they will likely do it very quietly, just like they did with the EBR posting and "forget" to inform any of the environmental NGO groups) we will just have to wait and see.
Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.
Mike