International Input is invited on a revised Quetico Provincial Park Management Plan. 10 years of planning went into this revised plan and they are seeking input for this plan that will determine how Quetico will be managed for the next 20 years.

International Input invited on Revised Quetico Management Plan

The use of motors by the Lac La Croix First Nation Guides will be much more limited with the plan with an agreement that will cut the list of lakes with motorized use in half... i.e. they used to pick 10 lakes from a list of 20 each year. Now the list is reduced to 9 lakes and is concentrated on the west end of the park: Beaverhouse, Quetico, Cirrus, Jean, Wolsely, Tanner, Poobah, Minn and McAree. Aircraft that First Nation Guides can land on Beaverhouse and one of 3 other lakes chosen each year.: Cirrus, Jean and Poobah.

Motorboats and airplanes were not previously allowed on JEAN. That's a bummer as I am planning on visiting JEAN in the next couple of years. I was on Poobah 2 years ago and did not particularly like a plane landing every morning at 9:00 am and departing at 4 pm each day with a party of 4 fisherman. But I went into Poobah knowing that Poobah is a lake that can be guided using 10 HP motorboats and float planes.

You can go on-line and give your input on the proposed plan.

Thanks I will read it and give a comment.

I was glad to see that the lakes impacted by LLC guides was reduced from 20 to 9. And that fly-in lake choices are reduced to to Beaverhouse (accessible by road) and one other. These are positive steps, and will reduce their impact on other visitors. I hope the next plan is a further reduction or elimination of motor assisted activities.

I haven't been to Poohbah and experienced the twice daily flights, but that would have been an annoyance to me. I might have lined their "runway" with marker bouys and pink flamingos. ;)

Bummer about Jean. Possibly my favorite Q lake, or at least top few anyway. Best for fishing in the park, in my experience.

I'd like to know the practical impact of the park zoning language, specifically the nature reserve zone 2 in the man chain area, designated in the plan as Blackstone (1), Other Man (3), Ottertrack (10), This Man (3), Littlerock (2), Emerald (12), Fisher (1), Sheridan (1). if "Only scientific, educational and interpretive use is permitted in this zone" and no backcountry camping is permitted in this zone, does that mean that the man chain will effectively be closed for tripping?

Just left a comment.
It was very easy.

quote stevedug: "I'd like to know the practical impact of the park zoning language, specifically the nature reserve zone 2 in the man chain area, designated in the plan as Blackstone (1), Other Man (3), Ottertrack (10), This Man (3), Littlerock (2), Emerald (12), Fisher (1), Sheridan (1). if "Only scientific, educational and interpretive use is permitted in this zone" and no backcountry camping is permitted in this zone, does that mean that the man chain will effectively be closed for tripping?"

Oh brother.......sure sounds like they are going to close off portions of the park. Isn't the entire park already a "nature reserve zone"? I'm sorry but my gut reaction is to ascribe the moniker of educated dopes to these sorts of actions which even the uneducated casual observer can comprehend the limited "scientific" value. But they have to play their games and set up their own private club to spend their government grant money. "We need complete isolation to study the spotted snail and make sure the occasional camper doesn't skew our results.........besides, we need those sites for our own interpretive groups". We have the same nonsense happening here in Florida.

quote stevedug: "I'd like to know the practical impact of the park zoning language, specifically the nature reserve zone 2 in the man chain area, designated in the plan as Blackstone (1), Other Man (3), Ottertrack (10), This Man (3), Littlerock (2), Emerald (12), Fisher (1), Sheridan (1). if "Only scientific, educational and interpretive use is permitted in this zone" and no backcountry camping is permitted in this zone, does that mean that the man chain will effectively be closed for tripping?"

No.

In the plan for Nature Reserve Zones starting at the bottom of page 23 it says, "This zone is delineated as all of the cliff faces on the listed lakes." In other words, the areas that are not cliff faces are not in the zone. On the top of page 24 in the 2nd paragraph under Management Intent, it says that existing campsites in the zone (i.e. on or near the cliff faces) will be closed and rehabilitated. So some campsites will be closed, but the rest will remain available. The plan makes it clear that they are trying to preserve the unique cliff ecosystems.

Ausable - Thanks. A response e-mail I got from the MNRF confirmed what you said. The NR2 zone has no practical impact on canoe camping the that area.

Wonder if the campsites on That Man than will stay open. Otherwise I have few problems with the plan.

I was bummed to hear about Jean as well.

quote QueticoMike: "I was bummed to hear about Jean as well."

Yea, that kind of SUCKS....

Less flyin prospects for other lakes, but extending flights to Jean......HM.

I made a comment on Jean on their website. My concern is I have seen ZERO enforcement of the First Nation guides on the live bait ban or they aren't included in the ban. Adding Jean to the fly in lakes with guides bringing minnows, crawlers, leeches is essentially no bait ban and no control of invasive species. Kind of makes their whole bait ban for canoeist's a total joke. One plane landing loaded with bait can do more damage than years of canoeists carrying live bait. Plus planes can carry spiny water fleas and other invasives. That's why they were outlawed in the VNP years ago, you can't fly into Shoepack anymore for example.

Also the original plan in the 90's had all the lakes phased out by now for Guide motor boat and plane access, back tracking on that I guess as well.

T

quote timatkn: "I made a comment on Jean on their website. My concern is I have seen ZERO enforcement of the First Nation guides on the live bait ban or they aren't included in the ban. Adding Jean to the fly in lakes with guides bringing minnows, crawlers, leeches is essentially no bait ban and no control of invasive species. Kind of makes their whole bait ban for canoeist's a total joke. One plane landing loaded with bait can do more damage than years of canoeists carrying live bait. Plus planes can carry spiny water fleas and other invasives. That's why they were outlawed in the VNP years ago, you can't fly into Shoepack anymore for example.


Also the original plan in the 90's had all the lakes phased out by now for Guide motor boat and plane access, back tracking on that I guess as well.


T"

All good points and I agree with you on every point. Unfortunately, the political correctness card is a trump card, and concessions will be made as long as they want the business. You didn't really think that they would be phased out by now did you???

quote timatkn: "I made a comment on Jean on their website. My concern is I have seen ZERO enforcement of the First Nation guides on the live bait ban or they aren't included in the ban. Adding Jean to the fly in lakes with guides bringing minnows, crawlers, leeches is essentially no bait ban and no control of invasive species. Kind of makes their whole bait ban for canoeist's a total joke. One plane landing loaded with bait can do more damage than years of canoeists carrying live bait. Plus planes can carry spiny water fleas and other invasives. That's why they were outlawed in the VNP years ago, you can't fly into Shoepack anymore for example.


Also the original plan in the 90's had all the lakes phased out by now for Guide motor boat and plane access, back tracking on that I guess as well.


T"

All good points and I agree with you on every point. Unfortunately, the political correctness card is a trump card, and concessions will be made as long as they want the business. You didn't really think that they would be phased out by now did you???

quote timatkn: "I made a comment on Jean on their website. My concern is I have seen ZERO enforcement of the First Nation guides on the live bait ban or they aren't included in the ban. Adding Jean to the fly in lakes with guides bringing minnows, crawlers, leeches is essentially no bait ban and no control of invasive species. Kind of makes their whole bait ban for canoeist's a total joke. One plane landing loaded with bait can do more damage than years of canoeists carrying live bait. Plus planes can carry spiny water fleas and other invasives. That's why they were outlawed in the VNP years ago, you can't fly into Shoepack anymore for example.


Also the original plan in the 90's had all the lakes phased out by now for Guide motor boat and plane access, back tracking on that I guess as well.


T"

All good points and I agree with you on every point. Unfortunately, the political correctness card is a trump card, and concessions will be made as long as they want the business. You didn't really think that they would be phased out by now did you???

No I never believed they would actually phase out the guides in the original timeline :) just frustrating that they think they have really accomplished anything in Park preservation when in reality it is half-a$$ed and ineffective. (I was more politically correct in my comments :))

The only effective thing they did to reduce impact was raise the fees significantly...I think it has gone up 200 to 300% since my first trip in 2000 depending on exchange rate---thus simply reducing usage/impact on the Park. I guess you can argue whether this was good or not, I know it has priced out many families that used to go to the Q which is bad, but no denying it has reduced the impact on the park/resource.

Don't get me wrong I love the Park and wish I could go more... their plan is a joke though when you factor in the guides, motors, planes, live bait and invasives.

T

With perhaps the exception of transportation in, the rules for everyone utilizing the park should be the same and everyone should know them.

I don't know if I would get much support here with this, but... I would love to see a mandatory educational program, online, where every person of age should have a ONE TIME, super affordable or free, class on canoe country as a mandatory prerequisite to getting a permit. This should cover the history, ecology, rules and regulations, LNT, Canoeing skills, safety skills, fire pit skills, basic emergency skills, and CC etiquette. At least then, we would know that all people going into the park have some understanding of what they are doing, not just many of them. With all the talk here about bad behavior, penalties should be severe since much caused damage could take decades to reverse.

It isn't like there are Queticos all over the place. I drive 2000 miles each way for the experience. When we are in the park and run into inconsiderate people, or sites where they have been, it takes away from all of our experiences.