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Threatened ancient red pine forest is among Sudbury’s top eco-tourism destinations

Toronto – Today Camp Keewaydin on Lake Temagami and the Wolf Lake Coalition invite Premier McGuinty and family to join them on a canoe trip to Temagami’s famed Wolf Lake, home to the world’s largest ancient red pine forest.  Promised by the Government of Ontario for protection in 1999, Wolf Lake is currently under threat from mining exploration by Calgary based Flag Resources.

On December 13, 2011, after news that Wolf Lake was threatened broke, the Toronto Star reported that Premier McGuinty said he has paddled the pristine lakes and rivers around Temagami.  “I have in fact taken my boys — at the end of every summer we take a canoe trip and we’ve been to Temagami. It’s a great place, beautiful forests, great freshwater lakes — clean freshwater lakes ,” McGuinty told reporters at an Aurora high school.

Ontario recently bought out GLR mining claims and leases on KI Homeland under intense pressure from KI and their many supporters. That area was added to over 23,000 sq km of KI land withdrawn from mining exploration earlier in March.  This is a huge accomplishment for this remote Indigenous community and for all people who fight for Indigenous sovereignty and environmental justice.

KI declared a moratorium on all industry in their Homeland in 2000.  GLR knowingly staked claims in violation of the moratorium and, to make matters worse, the mining claims were in a sacred area that included KI ancestral graves.  KI vowed not to allow the exploration and now they have succeeded. 

This is the second time that KI has kicked a mining company off their Homeland.  In 2008 KI Chief Morris and five other KI leaders were jailed for saying not to platinum exploration they feared would contaminate their home lake.  Ontario was forced to buy out that company as well, under massive public pressure and national media scrutiny.

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Grassy Narrows calls on ON to fund permanent community run environmental monitoring station; 2010 study shows mercury in fish still often above safe level

Grassy Narrows -  Fifty years ago this month, in March 1962 Dryden Chemicals began dumping an estimated 10 metric tonnes of mercury into the Wabigoon River, contaminating the fish which formed the subsistence and economy of three Indigenous communities Asubpeeschoseewagong (Grassy Narrows), Wabaseemoong (White Dog), and some members of Wabauskang who lived at Quibell.  Half a century later residents of Grassy Narrows are still grappling with the long term health, social, and economic impacts of this infamous act of environmental racism.  Mercury levels in Grassy Narrows fish have yet to return to safe levels.

“The government has allowed the logging companies to destroy our forest and give us back only disease and sickness and death,” said Judy Da Silva, a mother and community organizer in Grassy Narrows.  “We are calling on McGuinty to help us establish a permanent Grassy Narrows run environmental monitoring station so we can inform and protect our people from the ongoing damage that pollution and logging are inflicting on our bodies and on our children.”

The Ontario government has agreed to suspend logging north of the English River in a territory five times the size of Toronto as an 11-year legal fight winds its way through the courts.

Last August, the Ontario Superior Court ruled the province does not have the power to take away treaty rights negotiated over 150 years ago by allowing industrial activity without the consent of Grassy Narrows First Nation. The decision is being appealed and is expected to be heard this fall.

But while all commercial logging cannot occur in the Grassy Narrows traditional area north of the river without the community’s consent, it can south of the river, said David Sone, a spokesperson for the environmental organization Earthroots.

To read the full article, please visit The Star here.

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Ontario cancels plans to remove forest reserve status from Wolf Lake, but leaves rare old growth forest threatened by mining

Toronto - Today the Ontario government announced that it is cancelling plans to remove forest reserve status from the heart of the world’s largest remaining old growth red pine forest, responding to a massive public outcry in favour of protecting the area. The Wolf Lake Coalition congratulates Minister Gravelle and Premier McGuinty for making the right decision and taking this important first step. However, Wolf Lake’s ancient pines remain open to mining and are at immediate risk from current plans to drill in this critically endangered ecosystem.

“We are pleased to see that Ontario is responding to the thousands of people who have spoken out for the protection of Wolf Lake,” said David Sone of Earthroots, speaking on behalf of the Wolf Lake Coalition.“Now it is time to finish the job of permanently protecting Wolf Lake by including this unique forest as part of the Chiniguchi Waterway Park.

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Conflict with GLR escalates with talk of private security

The government of Ontario today withdrew 23,181 square km of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug Indigenous Nation (KI) Homeland from mining exploration in respect for KI’s 12 year old moratorium on mining exploration and other industry on its Homeland.

“This is a huge step towards recognition of KI’s laws, rights and authority on its Indigenous Homeland, and a promising move away from the legacy of conflict and abuse,” said David Sone of Earthroots. “KI’s vision for their Homeland and environment is a beacon that lights the way towards true respect for the ecosystems that give us all fresh air, clean water, and abundant wildlife – Ontario is right in moving to respect KI’s decisions for their Homeland.”

The withdrawn lands are more than 5 times the size of PEI, and nearly 37 times the size of the City of Toronto.

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Coalition launches to fully protect Wolf Lake old growth

Toronto – Today seventeen organizations and green businesses launch the new Wolf Lake Coalition to save the world’s largest old-growth red pine forest from industrial damage.  This exceptional forest, located in the famous greater Temagami canoe area, is in peril 13 years after the government of Ontario promised to protect the 300 year old pines.  Ontario is currently proposing to remove forest reserve status from the heart of the Wolf Lake Old Growth Forest Reserve to encourage mining exploration in this unique and threatened ecological gem.  The Wolf Lake Coalition is calling on the government of Ontario to honour the promise to permanently protect Wolf Lake as part of Chiniguchi Waterway Provincial Park.

The new Wolf Lake Coalition has an online home at SaveWolfLake.org

“What will we tell our children if we neglect to protect the last remnants of this critically endangered ancient forest,” asked David Sone of Earthroots.  “If we allow mining to spoil this ecological gem we may never know what secrets, medicines, and lessons lay hidden in this natural masterpiece.  Mining at Wolf Lake would be like burning the Sistine Chapel to extract a few ounces of gold from its ornaments.”

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TORONTO ● On World Wetlands Day, the Ontario government deserves credit for significantly increasing the level of protection for wetlands from some of the highest threats that wetlands face across the Greenbelt, according to a new report from conservation groups.

Protecting Greenbelt Wetlands: How Effective is Policy? examines the Niagara Escarpment Plan, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and the Greenbelt Plan and finds that those three plans are working well to protect wetlands from housing, commercial and other forms of land development.

"A previous study showed that Greenbelt wetlands provide $1.3-billion in economic value to the province every year for services such as water filtration, flood control, moderating the impacts of climate change, and recreation and tourism opportunities.  And that price tag doesn’t include benefits that can’t be assigned a dollar value," says Dr. Anastasia Lintner of Ecojustice.  “If we don’t protect and restore our wetlands, higher future investments of public funds may be required to replicate these natural services, such as increased spending on expensive infrastructure like sewage treatment plants.”

Ducks Unlimited Canada, Earthroots, Ecojustice and Ontario Nature co-authored the report, which was made possible with the support of Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation, Law Foundation of Ontario, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and J.P. Bickell Foundation.

Take a few minutes to show your support for the permanent protection of Wolf Lake - your voice will make a difference.

Please edit our template letter to reflect your own personal views - this will carry a lot more weight with the decision makers!

Send a letter through our action centre.

Temagami's Wolf Lake region contains the largest old-growth red pine forest in the world.  Towering red pines - some close to 300 years old - quartz cliffs, and sparkling blue lakes dominate the landscape.  Old-growth red pine ecosystems are considered endangered as they now currently exist on a mere 1.2% of their former range.  This unique forest is currently threatened by mining.

Please take action now to protect Wolf Lake.

The MNR has finally listened to the public and recently announced that Wolf Lake's Forest Reserve will remain in place.  The next much bigger step will be to permanently protect Wolf Lake from all industry forever.

Click here to watch the Save Wolf Lake video.

The recently formed Wolf Lake Coalition is a growing group of organizations and green businesses working together to permanently protect Wolf Lake.  Visit the website here.

For more information click here.

Thank you for helping to make Earthroots’ 25^th year a great success!  None of this work would have been possible without the help of our dedicated supporters, volunteers and advisors.

Start the New Year off right by contributing to our ongoing campaigns in 2012!

Donate online today through the secure services of CanadaHelps.org and you will receive an electronic tax receipt – your support will make a difference.

Click here now to make a contribution.

Here are a few highlights from our list of accomplishments in 2011!

WOLF LAKE / TEMAGAMI

Earthroots gained high-profile media coverage critical of the proposal to remove Forest Reserve status from Wolf Lake, the largest known ancient red pine forest in the world.  With the support of our partners at Friends of Temagami, Paddle Canada and CPAWS Ottawa Valley, we have mobilized the public around this important issue.

Our most recent call to action has generated over 1,000 letters in support of permanent protection of this endangered forest!

If you haven’t done so already, please lend your voice to the campaign by sending in your letter to the Premier today. 

Click here to take action / learn more.

OAK RIDGES MORAINE

We generated hundreds of public comments and gained media coverage regarding our push for an immediate review of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan with our partners at Ontario Nature and STORM Coalition.  Earthroots also recruited a team of twenty canvassers to go door to door across the thirty-two municipalities on the Oak Ridges Moraine – we reached approximately 20,000 households and raised the profile of the major threats to water quality and quantity. 

Click here for more information.

The plan to destroy old growth forest near Temagami is not a done deal, said the Minister of Natural Resources.

In the wake of a Star story about his ministry’s plans to remove protections for stands of 300-year-old red pine around Wolf Lake in northern Ontario, Minister Michael Gravelle said he will decide soon whether the area will be opened up for increased mining.

“I will be speaking with my officials soon about that,” Gravelle said.

“There is no question that there is now an elevated interest in this issue,” he added, referring to the Star story.

The ministry wants to change the “forest reserve” designation for 340 hectares around Wolf Lake, located 50 kilometres from Temagami, to “general use,” which puts a greater focus on mining instead of forests and recreation.

To read the full article, please visit The Star here.

Ontario is planning to kill its promise to protect an ecological gem — an old-growth forest near Temagami.

The Ministry of Natural Resources wants to change the “forest reserve” designation for 340 hectares around Wolf Lake to “general use,” which puts a greater focus on mining instead of forests and recreation.

The only company drilling in the region is Alberta's Flag Resources, which has been delisted or forced to stop trading on stock exchanges across the country. It is currently not trading anywhere.

Located some 50 kilometres northeast of Sudbury, Wolf Lake lies in the area commonly called Temagami. It is beloved by hikers and canoeists for its soaring stands of 300-year-old red pines and deep blue lakes.

Ontario's Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller said he's “greatly disappointed” by the ministry's plan to backtrack on a long-held agreement to protect Wolf Lake, which would have eventually turned it into parkland.

To read the full article, please visit The Star here.