MANITOUWADGE OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS HELP RESIDENTS FUFILL MNR REQUEST
MOE Volunteers Gary Morris (left) and Geoff Newton assist member of the public with ready-to-fill-in comment sheets, providing information and assurance that their comments will be submitted by the Mayor to the MNR's Wawa District office. Photo OntarioNewsNorth.com
MANITOUWADGE, ON – As the September 1st deadline for comment submission in regards to the Ministry of Natural Resources’ (MNR) Wawa District Crown Land Use Atlas Harmonization (CLUAH) project quickly approches, the Manitouwadge Outdoor Enthusiasts (MOE) continued to work diligently, with tables outside the post office Thursday Aug. 20th and Friday Aug.19th to ensure local residents, regular visitors from neighbouring communities and others affected by crown land use restrictions in the Manitouwadge area, are well informed in regards to the 3 CLUAH options presented by the MNR (in the Environmental Registry and at recent public sessions), details of the CLUAH project options, and to assist the public in submitting their comments and suggestions. Minister of Natural Environment Linda Jeffrey feels the CLUAH Project’s success depends on public participation “Access to Crown land is integral to the northern lifestyle and quality of life. Having local representatives involved in land use planning is critical to assisting us in future planning of use of Crown land” said Jeffrey in provincial government release earlier today.
The MNR was critisized last month, for having scheduled CLUAH Project Options Public Information Sessions, without sufficient advance notice and during the summer months when, the critics worried, many people were on vacation or not on their regular schedules which would facilitate attendance. The MNR’s Project Manager Aboriginal Northeast Region John Peluch, who presented the information at public sessions held in Manitouwadge, White River, Dubreuilville, Hornepayne and Wawa, emphasized however that these meetings had been organized and announced as quickly as possible following the Environmental Registry re-posting which stipulated a 49-day comment period, which began July 14th and ends September 1st, regarding how to proceed with the CLUAH project; this to allow people, including attendees of the public sessions, as much time as possible to review the information and 3 options suggested in this 3rd Stage of the CLUAH Project and to submit their comments/suggestions/concerns by the deadline(September 1st). The MOE’s public workshops are intended to ensure
The MOE hopes to encourage as many people as possible to take advantage of the opportunity to enfluence Minister of Natural Resources Linda Jeffrey’s decision regarding the CLUAH Project and land use regulations in the MNR’s Wawa District. To this end MOE volunteers had both previously written letters which people could add their signature to if they agreed with “Option A” or blank comment forms available for people to fill out with their own choice, regardless of it it was the same as that of the MOE, and leave with them to be submitted. As of Friday afternoon, day 2 of the MOE’s public assistance efforts in front of the Manitouwadge post office, more than 100 people had provided either a signature on the pre-written letter or a completed submission of their own. An MOE member will be accompanying Mayor John MacEachern as he personally delivers all comments and letters collected, together in one package, to MNR’s Wawa District Planning and Information Management Supervisor Wendy Leclair. Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Mike Brown Brown is impressed with the level of public participation occurring “I’m pleased with the type of involvement in Crown land use planning currently under way in the Wawa area. I believe this to be a good model for how residents across northern Ontario could have their say and help influence Crown land access.”
