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Forty-year plantation sign leads to renewed partnership
Posted: Aug 28, 2024
Photo Credit Canadian Institute of Forestry – Institut forestier du Canada (CIF-IFC) From L to R, front row, Guy Smith (CIF), Megan Smith (MNR), Wendy Leclair (CIF), Gerard Lavoie (SSMRCA), From L to R, back row, Bill Thornton (CIF, FHO), Fraser Dunn (CIF, FHO), Richard Macnaughton (CIF), Frank Kennedy (CIF), Corrina Barrett (SSMRCA), Bob Elliott (CIF) Pine trees planted over 40 years ago by members of the Canadian Institute of Forestry – Institut forestier du Canada (CIF-IFC) are providing potential for local groups to come together to maintain healthy forests on the Sault Ste. Marie landscape. The plantation, mostly red pine, was established in 1983, the year that Sault Ste. Marie hosted the Institute’s annual conference on the theme, “Forestry in Canada – Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.” The event marked the 75th Anniversary of the organization with several community partners supporting the planting, says a media release that invites public participation in an event scheduled this week. “The local community came together to mark an occasion, but more importantly, to restore forest cover in an area within city limits much loved for its natural features,” Fraser Dunn, an Institute member helping to increase awareness and interest in the site. The plantation is situated on Landslide Road, on land owned by the Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority (SSMRCA). The Voyageur Trail traverses the plantation. Corrina Barrett, General Manager of the Conservation Authority, says in the release, “Healthy forests bring balance to our natural environment. Besides providing recreational opportunities, forest renewal helps capture atmospheric carbon, maintain source water protection, and reduce risk of extreme fire.” In the course of replacing the original plantation sign Dunn and some fellow CIF-IFC members recently met with the Conservation Authority, one of the partners in the plantation’s establishment. The two organizations are now discussing the value of a renewed partnership in bringing awareness to forest land planning and stewardship of forest stands on SSMRCA property. They invite other interested groups and organizations to join the conversation, seeing particular opportunities for outdoor learning. The community is invited to attend a small event to unveil the new sign and begin a conversation about needs and opportunities for a community partnership to focus on the long-term health and value of forests on SSMRCA lands. The event takes place June 27, at 1:30 p.m. Limited parking is available on Landslide Road near the site (just north of the cemetery and nearly opposite entrance to Kinsmen Park), or in parking lots for the Old Sawmill or at Kinsmen Park, a short walk from the site. From a media release |
Current Watershed Conditions
Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority (SSMRCA)
