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Campsite and Visitor Survey - 2001 Lake Temagami and Vicinity |
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Introduction Backcountry campsites in the Temagami region have experienced increased recreational pressure over the past decade resulting in progressive site degradation, overcrowding and the displacement of dissatisfied traditional users. A combination of factors is responsible for this transformation. Essentially Lake Temagami remains unregulated. No backcountry management or user fee infrastructure exists. Outside commercial tourism operators have exploited this by bringing clients originating throughout southern Ontario and the USA into the Temagami area. An elevated "comfort zone" has attracted an uninitiated user group unfamiliar with wilderness ethics and appropriate backcountry etiquette. This follows the expansion and improvements to provincial highway #11 from North Bay, the Temagami Access Road, and the township's docking and parking facilities at Lake Temagami's Mine Landing. |
Campsite soil compaction, erosion and exposed roots on Cross Lake. Photo: Ian Huggett |
Meanwhile Lake Temagami's resident canoeing camps are contending with the effects of outside industrial tourism. Large groups of non-resident canoe tripping camps increasingly monopolize, litter and overload the social and environmental carrying capacity of Temagami's waterways and campsites. To compound the situation, maintenance of campsites and portages have been severely neglected. Provincial government cutbacks and the closure of the MNR's Temagami office have exacerbated the dilemma. Finally, commercial enterprises marketing luxury and convenience vacations involving houseboats have introduced an incompatible, and frequently disruptive market segment into the region's formally quiet backwaters. Cottagers and wilderness enthusiasts complain of witnessing Temagami evolve into little more than a scenic venue for depreciative social gatherings. Solitude and it's restorative and inspirational values - the hallmark of Temagami's "wilderness" for over a century, have been sadly sacrificed in the scramble to capitalize on the aesthetics of its unregulated natural environment. |
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Purpose The campsite evaluation and informal visitor survey, carried out during the summer of 2001 was designed to obtain baseline figures from which management decisions could be made. The intention was to rank qualitatively and quantitatively the biophysical attributes of each campsite. Visitor impacts were carefully documented to determine which sites require restoration, rehabilitation or closure. A privy box inventory was prepared to establish installation priority at heavily used campsites to direct volunteer organizations. The survey included a compliance monitoring component. ( e.g. backcountry patrol). The intent was to monitor, record and report infractions to the OPP and MNR. Accordingly, an inventory was compiled of negligent use on crown land deemed to compromise the enjoyment of visitors. Negligent uses included the presence of ice-fishing shacks, cached boats along portages and squatters' camps. An informal visitor survey served to determine the level of satisfaction among camp directors, private canoe trippers, outboard campers and house boat operators. The survey was intended to complement the objective measures acquired during the campsite inspection. |
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