Conservation Authority approves tree-friendly Hiawatha parking lot expansion

The Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club’s latest proposal for their Pinder parking lot expansion was approved by the Conservation Authority Board of Directors earlier this week.

Their scaled back plan, which diverts from the club’s original intentions to remove 0.68 hectares of white pine and spruce trees, will instead see the removal of shrubs and less significant vegetation along the perimeters of both lots.

Details of the plan includes:

• Trimming back the brush encroaching on the perimeter of both the North and South parking lots
• Brushing the roads on either side of the island of trees which connect the North and South parking lots
• Removal of one small island of brush in the North parking lot

The ski club is hoping to add 48 additional parking spots and reduce congestion along Landslide Road in the winter months.

In an email to SooToday, Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority president Corrina Barrett explained that part of the board’s approval will guarantee that “the associated work takes place outside of sensitive timing windows for breeding birds, SAR bats and the Blanding’s Turtle.”

Barrett noted this will ensure that no work will take place before Oct. 16.

The exact timeline of the project is still yet to be determined.