Mining company to be tree planter

With the decision by two of the largest forestry companies in the region not to do any tree planting in 2009, it may turn out that the large tree-planting company in Timmins is a mining company.
Goldcorp Porcupine Gold Mines has revealed it has plans to plant upwards of 20,000 new trees a year, for the next few years in Timmins are part of its land reclamation plans.
The plan was revealed at a recent meeting of the Porcupine Watchful Eye, which is a committee of stakeholders that works to oversee the various land reclamation and environmental efforts of Porcupine Gold Mines.
Committee member Mark Joron told the meeting the plan is contingent on budgeting by the company, but he expressed confidence that the plan would be approved.
“The initial plan is to begin planting new trees in the area of the old Pamour Mine, also in the area of Three Nations Lake and in the area surround the mine truck overpass that crosses over Highway 101 east,” Joron told the meeting.
It was earlier this year that two of the largest forestry companies in the Timmins region, Tembec and Abitibi-Bowater both revealed that no tree planting plans are in the works for the 2009 planting season. The companies are responsible for forest regeneration efforts in the Romeo Malette forest and the Nighthawk forest respectively.
Both companies have also severely scaled back their tree planting regeneration efforts for the summer of 2008.
The decision has raised concern among members of the Timmins LCC (Local Citizens’ Committee) whose job it is to oversee and comment on forest management plans.
The LCC has sent a letter of concern to the Ministry of Natural Resources.