MNR gearing up to lock us out in the north!

[SamiFlyer]

http://www.northernlife.ca/News/LocalNews/2007/02-23-07-mnr-road.asp?NLStory=02-23-07-mnr-road

I know there are quite a few people from Sudbury here and many lurkers from the area as well. It would be a good show of support to come out and be seen or be heard if such is the case.

This is a very good tactic on the part of the MNR. They attack a Northern area they figure will have minimal resistance. If they succeed here, you can bet it won't be hard for them to shut the logging roads anywhere! :rant:


Sean :cool:

[MuddMachine]

Quote.....

Provincial law has also given the MNR authority to deny access to certain pieces of Crown land where sustainability of local wildlife species might be put in jeopardy if there was easy public access, said Mark.

[SamiFlyer]

My truck has 35" Boggers, it's all easy access to me! You wanna go play on rocks in your backyard that's fine, I like doing that too. But I also like using logging roads to get to the remote places I wheel. If the road is off-limits, how the fawk do I get out there?

You have to voice your opinion BEFORE they mess things up for us. Not wait until after the fact and then cry foul! :roll:


Sean :cool:

[Mud Lite]

It is always wise to go to these meetings. We played possum for too long and look where it has gotten us? We are NOT recognized as a land user now. Snow machines, ATV's, Hunters and Anglers are the only known land users. Try to open a trail that has been used by ATV's? You can't! We don't exist. We are the monsters that ruin the land! We cause too much damage!

Has the MNR ever seen what 100 ATV's can do to a trail in one weekend? Has the MNR done studies on how roads are torn up by Motocross bikes?

They have no clue who uses the trails. It is up to us to show them.

[Depot]

Who's game for attending? Im seriously considering it.

what u think? would it be a good or bad idea to even bring some of our rigs up to show them what we are talking about... maybe not mine though eh! lol

D

[SamiFlyer]

The meeting is in a conference room, I doubt anybody would want to go outside in the cold to see our trucks. I would bring mine if I thought it would help but I'll be coming off work and going straight there to meet up with other members of SudburyHeep. We want to be seen in numbers, not like individuals coming in for a leek.


Sean :cool:

[Atticus]

Wow. We've lost all access to trails around here. All of Simcoe County. SO I figured all I had left was up north, but if the curtain is coming down from the Sudbury, there will be nothing left in no time.

[Lucy]

:rant:Like the way they make it sound like they are doing us a favor , with all those water crossings and culverts that "pose a danger to the general public”.:roll: Whatever would we do if the government wasn't around to protect us from ourselves:shake:


Long as I can dig up the gas money I'm there!

[GearHead]

I see this issue with the NEW logging roads as simply solution for the MNR to a funding and legal problem.

When I lived in Sudbury I had a summer job with the MNR.
Drove ALL!! the logging roads with bridges or large culverts, from Sudbury to North Bay and Kill Bear provincial park to Wawa.
Its a huge legal liability for the MNR, and a costly one too.
If someone drives there truck across a bridge and the bridge fails........well you can see where I am going.
The sites needed to be inspected annually. It was the best summer student job I ever!!! (wish I had kept a set of maps).

The logging companies build the roads and timber bridges and then the MNR has to maintain them or close them.

I think the simplest solution would be to remove the legal liability involved with bridge and culvert structures by requiring the logging companies to remove the bridges, and restore the watercourse as they pull out of the area. No bridge, no problem!!!

As far as our trucks doing environmental damage...that a load of BS....we are talking LOGGING roads, not nature tails.

later
Steve

[rocktracks]

I plan on going there:D

[SamiFlyer]

Repost from SudburyHeep.


OK, I just got off the phone with Jeff who was in touch with the MNR today about this situation.

The newspaper article failed to mention some very important points.

1. This particular proposed closure is for a road not yet built.
2. The proposed logging road is to replace a damaged one that no longer offers logging access to a particular area north of Sudbury.
3. This new road apparently needs to go through what is considered a "sensitive" area.
4. The new road is only a temporary measure to afford access to an already established logging site.
5. There are no plans to close any existing logging roads.

The bottom line is that the existing road was damaged by storm activity and that a temporary one needs to be built in order to allow access to the logging site. Because the new road will be going through a "sensitive" area, the MNR is exercising its power to close this road once it is no longer necessary. I don't know why the old road could not be repaired as of yet but I will be calling an MNR rep tomorrow to gather this and other information.

Questions I have:
1. Why could the old road not be repaired?
2. Are there plans to repair or simply abandon the old road
3. How long is this new road going to be in use?
4. Where is the locations of the old and newly proposed roads?

If anybody has any more questions they would like me to ask, please post it up here tonight.

So essentially, we are not losing anything. The MNR is not planning to close any existing or any other planned new logging roads. At least this is the latest information I have. I'll have more tomorrow after I speak with the MNR's regional Information Specialist.


Sean :cool:

[vanbdan]

Good info Sean.I'll be interested to know more about this,so keep us informed.Sigh,I guess I am going to have to go on that geep site to keep informed of the area up there.

[SamiFlyer]

Some links to the latest info on this.

SudburyHeep (http://sudburyheep.proboards41.com/index.cgi?board=omvoccorner&action=display&thread=1172272491)
Copy link location and paste into address bar, replace the "h" with a "j". :roll:

OF4WD (http://forums.of4wd.com/viewtopic.php?p=2153#2153)


Sean :cool:

[MuddMachine]

So basically the road doesnt even exist at this point. But sudbury mnr now does realize that a fair size group of gearheads (still probably under 100) does exist. So now they will be mapping these roads and trails that are used and when you say "we use this trail" they will respond... "oh, well....... no, no, no... you cant use that trail". Sorry to be so negative but the gov just always seems to be really good at applying vaseline before they slip it in.