Sable Islands Provincial Park Management Statement

Interim Management Statement

2003, Queen’s Printer for Ontario

Additional copies of this publication can be obtained from:

Ministry of Natural Resources
Fort Frances District Ontario Parks
922 Scott St..
Fort Frances, ON
P9A 1J4
Telephone: 807-274-5337

And:

Ontario Parks Northwest Zone
Suite 221D
435 James Street South
Thunder Bay, ON
P7E 6S8
Telephone: 807-475-1321

Approval statement

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

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

I am pleased to approve this Interim Management Statement for Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve.

Tim P. Sullivan
Zone Manager, Ontario Parks
North West Zone

Prelude

The purpose of this Interim Management Statement is to identify:

1. park values, which are to be protected
2. resource management prescriptions necessary to protect these values in their current state; and
3. restrictions, according to existing park policy, on use of natural resources within the park

This Interim Management Statement is not intended to replace a Park Management Plan. Rather it is intended to guide the use of natural resources and related activities within the park until such a time as a Park Management Plan is prepared.

The guidelines that have been developed are based upon information contained in the Ontario Provincial Parks Planning and Management Policies (1992) and Ontario’s Living Legacy Land Use Strategy (1999).

Background information

Refer to the maps at the end of the document.

Targets

Life science representation

Earth science representation

Cultural resource representation

Recreational opportunities

Inventories

I Introduction

The Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve was recommended as a candidate park in the Fort Frances District Land Use Guidelines (1983) and it was formally established as 'Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve' in 1985, under Ontario regulation 45/85. This regulation was amended in 1991 and an additional 82 ha were added to the park. The park was recommended for expansion again in 1999 as part of Ontario’s Living Legacy (OLL), a land use strategy that guides the planning and management of Crown lands in central and portions of northern Ontario. Under this initiative, released in July 1999, 378 new protected areas, including the Sable Islands Nature Reserve Addition (P417), were identified. The formal regulation of this addition under the Provincial Park Act is targeted for 2002 and it will be regulated under the name 'Sable Islands Provincial Park (Nature Reserve Class),' although it will continue to be referred to as a 'Provincial Nature Reserve.'

The nature reserve classification recognized the distinctive nature habitats and landforms found in the park, and it’s protection for educational purposes and as a gene pool for research to benefit present and future generations. At 2683 ha, this park includes excellent representation of barrier islands, a sand beach dune community, an extensive peatland complex and a number of provincially significant species. The park is located within the Ministry of Natural Resource’s Administrative District of Fort Frances, approximately 20 km north of the Town of Rainy River.

An Interim Management Statement was first completed for the Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve in 1986 and then revised in 1991. This Interim Management Statement represents a synthesis of the 1991 version and new information and management directions that have arisen from Ontario’s Living Legacy and it replaces the 1991 version.

II Land tenure/acquisition/disposition

Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve is composed entirely of Crown Land in the Geographic Township of Spohn and the Municipality of the Township of Atwood, District of Rainy River. The 1985 park boundaries included the majority of the barrier islands, which are located in Big Traverse Bay, Lake of the Woods, and a large portion of the wetland features located on the mainland. The mainland portion of the park is located in between Concessions III and VII in both townships. The recommended OLL Addition, which is targeted for regulated in 2002, includes the following lots and part lots in Spohn Township:

• S ¾ Lots 6 & 7, S ½ Lot 8, Con. 6
• W ½ of the N ¾ Lot 6, Lot 7, N ½ & SE ¼ Lot 8, Con. 5
• N ¼ Lot 7, N ½ Lot 8, NE ¼ & S ½ of the N ½ Lot 9, Con. 4

There is one unopened road allowance in southern portion of the OLL Addition. There are no land use permits, leases, easements, or other forms of tenure within the park area, although there is one large patent property within the pre-OLL park area and two additional private in-holdings resulted from the OLL Addition. The mainland portion of the park is largely surrounded by patented property.

Guideline:

• No new sales of Crown land for the private use of individuals or corporations will be permitted in a regulated park
• Land dispositions for private or commercial use will not be considered
• If any portions of patent lands adjacent to or surrounded by the nature reserve become available they may be considered for addition to the park
• According to Section 3(4) of the Provincial Parks Act, unopened road allowances that have not been closed or conveyed will become vested in the Crown on the day that the area in which the road allowance occurs is officially added to the park

III Aboriginal interests

Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve is within the Treaty 3 area, with the Rainy River Band (Wildlands Reserve 15M) being the closest First Nation. The nature reserve falls within a larger area that is subject to on-going land claim negotiations between the Crown and local First Nations.

Guideline:

• Any management guidelines will reflect the Ontario government’s approach to aboriginal rights:
  1. All decisions related to the identification, planning or disposition of provincial park lands, or other lands set aside to protect significant natural or cultural heritage values, will be the subject of public consultation. Aboriginal peoples who identify traditional ties to those lands will be integral to the consultation and decision making processes. In some cases there may be a need for separate consultation or negotiation processes to address Aboriginal interest in park lands. If required, some issues regarding how a park is used may also be the subjects of negotiation with Aboriginal people
  2. The Government of Ontario will consider all the available options when seeking to determine the land component, if any, during negotiations involving land claim settlements with First Nations. Options for uses that involve lands not to be considered for provincial park purposes will be preferred
  3. As described in the Province’s Interim Enforcement Policy (1991), aboriginal people hunting or fishing in provincial parks will be subject to all relevant treaties and However, an agreement reached between the Province and a First Nation may modify the application of those treaties and laws (Ontario Provincial Parks Planning and Management Policies , 1992)

IV Natural Resource Stewardship

Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve, within the ecoregion 5S, is located on a peneplain with low relief that once formed part of the bed of glacial Lake Agassiz. From an earth science perspective, the Sable Islands contribute significantly to representation of the Lacustrine Landform/Process Theme of the Earth Science Framework, using in park system planning, as well as being potentially representative of littoral processes in glacial Lake Agassiz. The sand dune complex, in particular, is of great significance since it may be the only one of its kind in ecoregion 5S. The dunes themselves, the vegetation they support, and faunal members found here combine to make these islands an outstanding feature in Northwest Ontario.

Lands and waters

There are no major permanent waterbodies within the Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve, although it contains some intermittent streams and extensive peatland features, including both treed and open wetlands. The nature reserve is largely surrounded by the proposed Lake of the Woods Water Conservation Reserve, which includes the waters adjacent to the Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve, providing continuity of protection from the mainland to the offshore islands.

The nature reserve occupies an area on the border of the felsic igneous rocks of the Sabaskong batholith to the northeast and the mafic metavolcanic rocks of the Rainy River greenstone belt. The area has been influenced by the events of the late Wisconsin period, including deposition from advances of lobes of both the Keewatin and Labradorean fronts of the Laurentide ice sheet, as well as the phases of Glacial Lake Agassiz. Quaternary deposits from this time tend to be complex, reflecting the sequence of glacial events, but broadly represents examples of glaciolacustrine deposits, till, and minor glaciofluvial influences. Recent deposits represent the most visible features of the nature reserve, and include the fluvial/lacustrine and aeolian deposits of the offshore Sable Islands and the extensive peatland deposits on the mainland.

An area, now largely occupied by the OLL Addition, was formerly held under mining claims and reverse circular drilling was undertaken in 1995 to conduct geochemical sampling of till. The results from these drill holes was not promising from an economic perspective and, subsequently, the claims expired. No current mining claims exist within or in the vicinity of Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve.

Guideline:

• Commercial hydro development is not permitted
• Peat extraction is not permitted
• Aggregate extraction is not permitted
• Mineral exploration and mining are not permitted within Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve

Vegetation management

A total of 13 ecosite types have been identified within the Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve, the majority of which are wetland types. There is a subtle transition from east to west, following the recession of the waters of glacial Lake Agassiz. The resulting wetlands range from fen ecosites through to the marsh ecosites found adjacent to the waters of Lake of the Woods. A portion of the nature reserve, along its northern boundary adjacent to Kreger Road, was once cleared for agricultural purposes and is slowly revegetating, although it is still considered an altered ecosite.

Forested portions of the park include scattered uplands, occurring on the margins of the wetland features, and forested wetlands, concentrated in the eastern half of the nature reserve. Conifer species such as larch, black spruce and eastern white cedar, along with scattered occurrences of black ash swamp, characterize the central and northern portions of Sable Island Provincial Nature Reserve. The southern portions are dominated by poplar species, such as balsam poplar, trembling aspen and largetooth aspen.

A number of provincially significant floral species have been documented at Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve, including Prairie June Grass (Koeleria macrantha), Sand Nut Grass (Cyperus schweinitzii), Dwarf Bullrush (Lipocarpha micrantha), Ram’s-head Ladyslipper (Cypripedium arietinum), Bushy Cinquefoil (Potentilla paradoxa), and Sand-heather (Hudsonia tomentosa).

Sable Islands Provincial Park is located within the Crossroute Forest Management Unit 405, which has been issued to the Fort Frances Division of Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. This management unit is the result of an amalgamation of the former Highrock (290) and Fort Frances Flanders (827) Forests, which was scheduled to take place April 1, 2002.

Guideline:

• Commercial forest operations are not permitted
• Fuelwood cutting is not permitted
• Management will be directed towards on-going natural succession, unless alternative strategies are desirable
• Non-native species will not be deliberately introduced. Where they are already established, and threaten park values, management will develop a program for their eradication
• Insect/disease suppression of non-native infestations is permitted
• In the absence of a fire management plan for the park, the fire management objectives for the surrounding fire zone will apply. All human-caused fires will be suppressed
• Prescribed burning to simulate natural fire may be permitted, subject to park management planning
• The need for a Vegetation Management Plan, which would include prescriptions for fire management, will be determined in the park management plan
• The locations of provincially significant floral species will not be public information. Necessary measures (access/development restrictions) to protect the integrity of these populations will be implemented
• Agricultural practices, including the manipulation of the water table, will not be permitted, except where the perpetuation of natural features and conditions is desirable
• Ontario Parks will act as a plan advisor and reviewer during the Forest Management Planning Process, according to the Northwest Zone’s Protocol for Ontario Parks' Participation in Forest Management Planning. This process ensures that park values and park-related values are recognized and that protection and mitigation measures are worked out through the development of the forest management plan when these values are potentially effected by adjacent forestry operations

Wildlife and fisheries management

The upland portions of the nature reserve provide habitat for many of the mammals found in the Rainy River Area and may act as a refuge in a region where the surrounding area is dominated by agriculture. White-tailed deer, in particular, are frequently observed in the park. There are some signs of beaver activity, although the concentration of beavers is low, when compared to other areas in the MNR's Fort Frances District. Three provincially significant mammals have been observed within Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve: American badger, northern long-eared bat and Franklin’s ground squirrel.

A total of 256 bird species have been documented in Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve, 137 of which have been recorded as nesting. A number of the species in this list are also considered to be rare in the province and are provincially significant. At least one sandhill crane nesting site has been documented in the nature reserve and these birds are frequently seen flying overhead. The dunes on the offshore islands are regarded as suitable nesting habitat for the endangered piping plover and individuals are periodically observed on the islands, although the last documented breeding observation occurred in 1994. The sandy beaches also provide excellent habitat for a variety of other wading shorebirds. The diversity of habitat on the mainland portion of the nature reserve supports a wide variety of nesting and transient birds. The nature reserve is an important staging for migratory birds using the Central Flyway, resulting in the congregation of thousands of birds between the Sable Islands and Rainy River Mouth in early spring.

Given that the nature reserve boundaries end at water edge and there are no substantial inland lakes, fisheries management policies are generally not applicable to Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve. The channel in between the island and mainland portion of the nature reserve does provide important fisheries habitat and will be regulated under the Public Lands Act as the 'Lake of the Woods Waters Conservation Reserve.' It will be managed according to the permitted uses and land use policies for conservation reserves, as defined in the Ontario’s Living Legacy Land Use Strategy.

Guideline:

• Management will be directed to the maintenance of an evolving natural succession, unless alternative strategies are desirable
• Fish stocking of any kind is not permitted
• Hunting and trapping by Aboriginal people exercising their Aboriginal or Treaty rights is not affected
• Sport hunting and fishing will be addressed in Section VI – Recreation Activities.
• Fur harvesting will be addressed in Section VII – Commercial Activities

V Cultural resources

There are no known cultural resources in Sable Islands Provincial Park, although there is some potential for existing sites. A Paleo-Indian archeological site, associated with the shore of glacial Lake Agassiz, has been registered on private property adjacent to the nature reserve. There are currently no registered archeological sites within Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve.

Guideline:

• Further inventory is required to assess the cultural resources of the park. Approved archeological fieldwork will be encouraged
• The locations of any archeological sites will not be public information. Necessary measures (access/development restrictions) to protect the integrity of any archeological sites will be implemented
• The need for a Cultural Resources Plan/Strategy for cultural features/sensitive areas will be determined with park management planning

VI Existing/proposed development

Existing development within the Sable Islands Nature Reserve is minimal. An Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) sanctioned local club trail, operated by the Wildland Snowdusters Club, exists within the nature reserve boundaries. This trail passes through the park along a cleared, but unmaintained, road allowance that exists in between lots 8 and 9. This road allowance is flooded for much of its length, making it unsuitable for other forms of vehicular traffic.

Development related to agriculture also exists within and adjacent to Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve. In the northeast corner of the park, there are several old, cleared fields that were developed for agriculture and are slowly growing in. Drainage ditches have also been constructed on the periphery of the park, on certain locations on the south and east sides, to facilitate the drainage of adjacent agricultural lands. These features are often incorrectly depicted as trails on maps of the area.

There is no proposed development for Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve.

Guideline:

• Development of access zones will be addressed via park management planning
• Continuing custodial management for roads contained within the park and capital development of new/additional roads will be determined through park management planning
• Development related to agriculture is addressed in Section IV – Natural Resource Stewardship
• Development related to snowmobile use is addressed in Section VII – Recreation Activities
• Ontario Parks' signage is permitted

VII Recreation activities

Recreation in Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve is limited due to the lack of access (see Section IX – Access). Boaters use the beaches found on the actual Sable Islands for picnicking and other beach activities. The park’s large number of breeding and migratory birds, along with a number rare species, creates ample bird watching opportunities. The snowmobile trail, described in Section VI – Existing/Proposed Development, has also attracted snowmobilers to the park. The use of all-terrain vehicles on the islands' sand dune has been a recreational use in the past and caused damage to the dune features and nesting sites. Signs have been erected at either end of the islands to prohibit the use of ATVs.

Although angling is primarily an adjacent land use, limited opportunities may exist in some of the nature reserve’s intermittent streams. The nature reserve is located within the Border Waters and Division 22 of the Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations , which means that all the general and area-specific regulations, along with any of the exceptions concerning specific waterbodies, apply to Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve.

Guideline:

• Where compatible with park values, low-intensity day-use activities and facilities that enhance appreciation of the park will be encouraged
• Park management planning will determine policies for recreation management
• Sport hunting is not permitted
• Sport fishing is permitted, subject to the relevant Ontario Fishing Regulations
• Mechanized travel (including ATV and snowmobiles) will be restricted to access zones and will be subject to prescriptions determined through park management planning
• The islands will continue to be posted to prohibit the use of all-terrain vehicles under Section 21(k) of the Provincial Parks Act

VIII Commercial activities

Commercial fur harvesting is an adjacent land use to Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve. A number of traplines do overlap with the nature reserve’s boundaries, but they are Resident Traplines, meaning that trapping is restricted to private land. Local First Nations may be exercising their Aboriginal and treaty rights to harvest fur within the nature reserve. No overt signs of trapping have been documented, to date.

Two Bear Management Areas (BMA) have some degree of overlap with the nature reserve. The BMA that encompasses the southern portion of the OLL Addition (FF-10-001) is currently active. The second BMA (FF-10-002), which includes the northern portion of the OLL Addition and a small portion of the original nature reserve, is currently inactive.

Commercial baitfish harvesting is primarily an adjacent use, since the only overlapping baitfish blocks are FF-30 and FF-12. The waters of Lake of the Woods, and particularly the area in between the mainland and the shore of the Sable Islands, represent the usable areas in both these baitfish blocks, however the park boundary has been set at water’s edge. These blocks have been issued to three different operators, all of whom are currently active.

Guideline:

• Commercial fur harvesting is not permitted
• Trapping by First Nations people exercising their Aboriginal or treaty rights is not effected
• Existing authorized BMA licenses will not be renewed or transferred, nor will new operations be permitted, on the portions of the BMA contained within the nature reserve. Ontario Parks will work with the MNR's Fort Frances District to formally remove the nature reserve from the relevant BMA
• Baitfish harvesting will be phased out by December 31, 2009 on the portions of the baitfish blocks contained within the nature reserve

IX Access

With varying, and often significant, degrees of difficulty, access can be gained to the mainland portion of the nature reserve from Kreger Road, to the north, River Road, to the south, or Highway 600, to the east. Since the park is largely surrounded by private land, owner permission is required for use of the majority of the nature reserve’s access points. A rudimentary and unmaintained boat launch exists at the end of Kreger Road, providing to access to the island portion of the park, although visitors may also choose to launch at the larger docking facilities in nearby Rainy River.

Guideline:

• Access into the park via existing roads will be permitted to continue pending park management planning. Any decisions concerning the maintenance of existing roads will also be made at that time
• Access by Aboriginal people exercising their Aboriginal or Treaty rights is not affected

X Client services

There are currently no client services for Sable Island Provincial Park.

Guideline:

• Client services will be limited to a map/brochure until an approved park management plan is completed and all information provided will convey the message that visitors have the responsibility to protect the nature reserve. Development of a Natural Heritage Education Plan will be considered when developing the park management plan
• Recreation programs will not be provided

XI Research and inventories

Reconnaissance earth and life science inventories and a recreation inventory checklist were completed for the park during summer/autumn 2001. Cultural and historical features have yet to be inventoried.

Guideline:

• Detailed inventories of earth science, life science, cultural and recreation values will be undertaken when funding permits
• Additional research/inventories to document park values will be permitted if not in conflict with park values and consistent with the Ontario Parks Research and Information Strategy
• MNR, Ontario Parks or partnered groups and individuals may undertake research projects. The Park Superintendent/Zone Manager must approve all research applications

XII Marketing

Marketing of Sable Islands Provincial Park has been limited to the acknowledgement of its role in the Ontario’s Living Legacy initiative and the protected areas system, as a whole. The Ontario Parks website also provides a brief description of the nature reserve.

Guideline:

• Any marketing of the park will focus on its status as a nature reserve and the goals and objectives of this classification
• A park management plan may direct that a detailed Marketing Plan be developed. The scope of this plan would include provincial, national and international markets

XIII Sources/references

Munroe, J. 2002. Earth Science Reconnaissance Inventory Report: Sable Islands Provincial Park and Addition (P2417). Ministry of Natural Resources, Fort Frances District.

Munroe, J. 2002. Recreation Inventory Report – Sable Islands Provincial Park and Additions (P2417). Ministry of Natural Resources, Fort Frances District.

Munroe, J. 2002. Sable Islands Provincial Park and Addition (P2417): Life Science Reconnaissance Inventory Report. Ministry of Natural Resources, Fort Frances District.

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR). 2002. Natural Resources Values Information System (NRVIS). Fort Frances District.

OMNR. 1992 (update). Ontario Provincial Parks: Planning and Management Policies.

OMNR. 1985 (revised 1991). Sable Islands Provincial Nature Reserve Interim Management Statement.

OMNR. 1983. Fort Frances District Land Use Guidelines (DLUG).

Ross, W.A. (Regional Archeologist, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Recreation). February 11, 2001. Personal communication.

Permitted Uses tables for Nature Reserve class parks

Existing (Pre-OLL) Nature Reserves ^{footnote 1[1]}

Commercial activities

Land and resource management activities

Science, education & heritage appreciation

Recreation activities and facilities

Nature Reserve Class OLL Additions ^{footnote 1[1]}

Commercial activities

Land and resource management activities

Science, education & heritage appreciation

Recreation activities and facilities