Dear WCA Members;
We are in serious need of members of the paddling community to be more involved in issues that affect our rights and access to our canoe routes.
You do not necessarily have to be involved in the issue below. Getting involved also means help making paddle activities (sport or rec) much more visible by just being an entrant in a public activity.
Phil Cotton is our most knowledgeable person on jumping through the hoops of various Ontario regulations on maintaining/protecting and retaining access to our canoe routes on crown lands.
Some of you already know that Phil is the driving force behind the Wabakimi Project. http://www.wabakimi.org/project/
If you look at the few people that have been involved and the work they have done it is amazing what they have done for your paddling enjoyment. There are too few involved and they are being overwhelmed. Our conscience sometimes will not let us back away from another issue we may encounter even though we know we cannot do the job justice.
There is a special need for some help. Here is a quote from Phil's post on Myccr (Voyageur):
This is a call to all CCR members to help improve mapping of canoe routes in one of the most popular paddling areas of Ontario, i.e., the Spanish Forest. Please take the time to read this post and lend any assistance you may be able to offer.
Ontario's forests are divided into forest management units (FMU's) each of which is managed by a 10-year forest management plan (FMP). Each FMP includes a set of "values maps" on which important features that lie on the FMU landscape are depicted. These include canoe routes, portages, campsites and access points.
Each FMP is divided into two five-year "phases". Preparation for Phase II of the Spanish Forest 2010-2020 FMP is currently underway. Canoe route information is woefully lacking on the appropriate values maps.
The MNR maintains a website which shows all related documents related to FMP's. Follow these steps to access the values maps related to the Spanish FMP:
1. Access the MNR forestry website to locate a FMP such as the Spanish FMP.
http://www.efmp.lrc.gov.on.ca/eFMP/home.do?currentFmu=&language=en
2. Either choose Spanish Forest from the drop-down menu on the left or point and click on the map to select a particular FMP such as Spanish Forest. As you point and click on each FMP on the map, the name will appear.
3. Scroll down on the same screen and choose the most recent FMP for the Spanish Forest, i.e., "Spanish Forest Final Plan Phase I (2010-2020)". A new menu will appear listing the components of the FMP.
4. Choose "Maps" from the FMP menu.
5. Choose "Values" from the "Maps" menu.
6. Choose both the "Resources Uses" and the "Resource-based Tourism" values maps. Put them up on your computer screen side-by-side by adjusting the size of each window. These are .pdf files with adjustable magnifications. Set the magnifications to the same setting, i.e., 100%.
NOTE: The "Resource Uses" values map shows all recreational trails (i.e., snowmobile, hiking, canoe routes, etc.) as a solid green line; the "Resource-based Tourism" values map shows canoe routes as a separate, red, dashed line. It is this latter values map that needs improvement in its depiction of canoe routes and portages.
If you have any information about canoe routes that lie on (or adjacent to) the Spanish Forest, please contact me (Voyageur). I really need your help!
pjcotton@tbaytel.net
Or you can follow the link to the thread in myCCR http://www.myccr.com/phpbbforum/viewtopic.php?f=107&t=42560
Jeff McColl
Conservation Chair