Devon Road Mesa Provincial Park Management Statement

Interim Management Statement

Ministry of Natural Resources

Regional Director’s approval statement

This revised Interim Management Statement will provide interim direction for the management of the above Provincial Nature Reserve until a comprehensive Nature Reserve Management Plan is prepared.

This statement will provide the basis for the subsequent preparation of the Nature Reserve Management Plan.

I am pleased to approve this Interim Management Statement.

Signed by:
M.S. Millar
A/Regional Director
North Central Region

Revised March 1991

Background information

Date: 15.06.85

Table describing some background information about Devon Road Mesa Provincial Nature Reserve

Name:	Devon Road Mesa
Class:	Nature Reserve
MNR District:	Thunder Bay
MNR Region	North Central
Total Area (ha):	60
Land:
Water:
Site Region:	4W
Site District:	2
Date in Regulation:	June 15, 1985

Targets

Life science representation

Site Type/Landscape Unit	Species/Communities
Weakly broken lacustrine clay plain with strongly broken areas of diabase dikes	Associated vegetation patterns

Earth science representation

Geological Theme	Feature
None

Cultural resource representation

Theme	Theme Segment
Unknown

Recreation opportunities

Day Use	Car Camping	Wilderness/Back-country
N/A	N/A	N/A

Inventories

Level/Type	Reconnaissance/Completion Date	Detailed/Completion Date	Required?
Life Science	Checksheet		Detailed Inventory
Earth Science			Brief Survey
Cultural			Brief Survey
Recreational
Other	I.B.P.

I Land tenure

All land within the Nature Reserve is Crown Land. There is no tenure granted for any land within the Nature Reserve.

Guideline:

Granting of tenure will not be considered for any land within the Nature Reserve, until a Management Plan has been completed.

II Land acquisition/disposition

Devon Road Mesa Provincial Nature Reserve has been reduced from its originally proposed size to 65 hectares as to exclude private holdings. However, Nature Reserve objectives will be achieved within the existing boundary.

There is no patented land within the Nature Reserve area.

The Nature Reserve has eight patented properties abuting its boundaries. The Nature Reserve is land locked by private holdings, therefore, public access to the Nature Reserve is not possible. (The property owners' names and addresses are on file in the Thunder Bay District Office.)

Guideline:

No consideration will be given to acquiring additional land or disposing of land within the Nature Reserve until a Management Plan is completed.

III Existing/proposed development

There is no existing or proposed development at the present time.

Guideline:

Development (excluding that related to public health and safety) will not be undertaken prior to completion of a Management Plan.

The boundaries for this Nature Reserve will be surveyed and cut, and appropriate signage provided, if funding permits.

IV Recreational activities

Devon Road Mesa is classified as a Provincial Nature Reserve. Therefore, the Nature Reserve was not established for recreational purposes.

No water bodies exist within the Nature Reserve area.

Hunting pressure is low.

Guideline:

Hunting will not be permitted within the Nature Reserve.

V Commercial activities

The Nature Reserve is 100% within trapline area #164. However, the Nature Reserve comprises less than 1% of the entire trapline area. (The trapline data is on file in the Thunder Bay District Office.)

The Nature Reserve has been withdrawn from staking.

The Nature Reserve is located within the Fort William Crown Timber Management Unit.

No other commercial activities will be permitted.

Guideline:

Forestry, aggregate extraction and mining will not be permitted within the Nature Reserve.

Trapping will be phased out by January 1, 2010 or when the trapper retires or dies, whichever is sooner. At that time, those portions of the licence(s) within the Nature Reserve will be removed. Where a trapper’s licence lapses, the licence will not be renewed. No new licence will be issued.

Other commercial activities will not be permitted.

VI Natural resources

The Nature Reserve has been established to protect significant life science features, in particular two plants rare in Ontario, five plants at the northern edge of their range and one tree species rare in the region.

Guideline:

Restrictions on recreational and commercial activities, as noted above, are expected to provide adequate protection to the life science features. If any unforeseen threats to the preservation of these features arise, appropriate measures and/or restrictions will be implemented.

Normal forest fire suppression will take place within the Nature Reserve area.

Until appropriate measures are identified in a Management Plan, insects and diseases will be controlled as is deemed necessary.

VII Cultural resources

N/A

VIII Client services

No literature is presently available.

Guideline:

Client services will not be provided until a Management Plan has been completed, except as required by legislation or M.N.R. Policy.

IX Research and inventories

A life science checksheet has been completed for Devon Road Mesa Nature Reserve and is on file in the Thunder Bay District Office.

Guideline:

Prior to the completion of a Management Plan, a detailed life science and a brief earth science and cultural resource inventories will be required.

Additional research inventories will be encouraged to further document Nature Reserve values. These may be carried out by M.N.R. or by outside interest groups/individuals. Any research must first be approved by the District Manager.

References/sources

Noble, T. W. 1977. (Unpublished Report) Life Science Inventory Checksheet. O.M.N.R.

O.M.N.R. 1983. Backgrounder Land Use Guidelines.

O.M.N.R. 1983. Thunder Bay District Land Use Guidelines.

Maps: Devon Road Mesa Provincial Nature Reserve