SIOUX LOOKOUT – People in the Hudson area spoke up, and the Ontario government listened.
A petition and letter-writing campaign has succeeded in getting the wilderness area just west of Hudson spared from mass tree harvesting.
“We really are overjoyed and thankful for all the support we had from the community and from the municipality,” Hudson resident Lesley Starratt said Monday.
Starratt was among those concerned that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s draft 10-year management plan for the Lac Seul Forest would devastate an area popular with outdoors enthusiast and residents.
She recently learned that the ministry’s finalized plan includes forest preservation along Johnny Lucs Road and Goodie Lake Road.
“It worked well for us,” Starratt said. “The regional director and the district manager really listened to our concerns, and we had a great outcome.”
Hudson is a small unincorporated community west of the town of Sioux Lookout and south of Lac Seul First Nation.
The draft 2024-34 management plan for the Lac Seul Forest opened up nearly “all of the bush west of Hudson” for logging, Starratt told NWOnewswatch in early April.
“There’s one small protected area of red pine and then basically the bush all the way from the turnoff to Lac Seul reserve to Hudson would be wiped out,” she said at the time.
That would be a blow to those who live nearby and use the trails for hiking, snowshoeing and other outdoor pursuits, she said.
Community members kicked off a petition and letter-writing campaign to voice their objections to the ministry.
Additionally, Sioux Lookout’s city council was asked for support. Councillors on April 4 unanimously passed a motion authorizing Mayor Doug Lawrance to submit a letter on the subject to the ministry.
The letter stated, in part: “We urge the MNRF to consider alternatives and implement a plan that prioritizes sustainability and community well-being. We must work together to ensure that our natural resources are preserved for future generations.”
