Quebec Grants $15 million Dollars of Financial Assistance to Conservation of Nature Canada for its Ensemble Pour la Nature Project

Trois-Rivières, July 19, 2018. – The government of Quebec granted 15 million dollars of financial assurance to Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC) to stimulate the conservation and protection of natural habitats on private lands in Quebec. This funding seeks to support the realization of the Ensemble pour la nature project (PEPN) which has two main components:

• Support acquisition projects or permanent easements for the NCC’s conservation purposes and those of other partners;
• Acquire scientific knowledge and create awareness among the population about the importance of Quebec’s rich natural environments.

The Minister of Sustainable Development, the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change, Ms. Isabelle Melançon, made the announcement of the financial support today at the Red Mill bog, which is located in the Trois-Rivières agglomeration and protected, in part thanks to PEPN. She was accompanied by the MNA for Champlain, Mr. Pierre Michel Auger, the NCC Director of Conservation, Mr. Hubert Pelletier, the coordinator of the Fondation de la faune du Québec’s “Protéger les habitats fauniques” program, Ms. Christine Bélanger, and the Director General of Nature-Action Québec (the main owner of the bog) Mr. Pascal Bigras.

NCC has committed to implementing its project with many partner groups. In this way it makes a portion of the funding from Quebec available to other conservation groups. Moreover, it must match the investments with sums donated by other organizations and donors, creating a leverage effect with the government funding.

Quote:

With the funding granted to the NCC, the government in investing in the conservation of biodiversity in southern Quebec, where the pressure of human activities on the ecosystems is the most intense, all the while actively participating in the development of Quebec’s green economy and promoting regional development. At the same time this financial assistance allows them to expand the network of protected areas, an effective way to fight against climate change and ensure a better quality of life for our children.

– Isabelle Melançon, Minister of Sustainable Development, The Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change

On behalf of the citizens of the Mauricie region, I want to thank all the partners who stood together to protect the region’s biodiversity and, more specifically, this exceptional natural area that is the Red Mill Bog, to benefit the population. The Red Mill Bog is an added value for Trois-Rivières, of course, but also for the entire Mauricie region. Indeed, thanks to the infrastructures and well-thought-out awareness tools, the population can appreciate the bog’s unique ecological characteristics without compromising its integrity.

– Julie Boulet, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Mauricie region

We all benefit from the preservation of unique natural areas like the Red Mill Bog. Here in Trois-Rivières, many people have already understood, and the government has found attentive ears for its biodiversity conservation discourse. I want to congratulate all the partners who, around Nature-Action Québec, and like Nature Conservancy Canada, contribute to protecting such a jewel and other exceptional natural sites in the region.

– Pierre Michel Auger, MNA for Champlain

Since the adoption of its sustainable development policy in 2009, the city has been taking concrete action to preserve ecosystems which high ecological value on the territory, to benefit citizens, as is proven by the Red Mill Bog. That is why today I salute the Quebec government’s announcement which makes Trois-Rivières an even greener city. The funding granted will allow you to protect the unique ecosystem that we find at the Red Mill Bog. Thank you to all the partners in this project.

– Yves Lévesque, Mayor of Trois-Rivières

We are honoured by the confidence shown by the Ministry of Sustainable Development, the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change through its contribution to PEPN, aiming to consolidate the efforts made to protect wet areas, forests, coastal or aquatic ecosystems, which house precious flora and fauna. A portion of this fund is accessible through the Fondation de la Faune du Québec’s Protéger les habitats fauniques program. The project will extend the network of protected areas and will preserve natural territories that are considered a priority by the species that they harbour and the ecological services that they provide to the population.

– Hubert Pelletier, Conservation Director at NCC in Québec 

The foundation is happy to be able to contribute to the project by meeting the challenge of matching and distributing funds to conservation organizations within the Protéger les habitats fauniques program, which aims to provide long-term protection, through legal conservation agreements, to the wildlife habitats that are both exceptional and threatened on Québec’s private lands, and encourage their connectivity. This major partnership will allow us to double the amounts earmarked for this program, increasing from $ 300,000 to $700,000 annually. To this day, the Foundation has invested $520,000 of a total budget of $3.07 million to support fourteen conservation projects.

– Christine Bélanger, Program Coordinator, Protéger les habitats fauniques, Fondation de la faune du Québec

We are so proud of the PEPN funding granted to the NCC by the MDDELCC, which will allow us to protect 119 hectares in the Red Mill Bog in Trois-Rivières. We thank the NCC and the MDDELCC for the trust they have shown Nature-Action Québec as well as all the other partners in this project. A concrete, large-scale project in the region that will consolidate our partners’ united efforts to perpetually protect this rich natural area for our future generations. Now 253 hectares will be perpetually protected, representing 43% of the total area of the bog.

– Pascal Bigras, Director General of Nature-Action Québec

Quick Facts:

• Already underway, the PEPN provides for the conservation of over 4,000 hectares through NCC and thirteen partner organizations. This represents 30 new land acquisitions in 19 municipalities, affecting 220,000 citizens in Quebec.
• Nature Conservancy Canada is a leader in the conservation of private lands in Canada and it works to protect natural areas with remarkable biodiversity to generate ecological and economic benefits to benefit citizens of today and tomorrow. In total, the organization already protects 450 square kilometres (or 45,000 hectares) of land and wetlands in Quebec.
• Nature-Action Québec is a non-profit organization that guides individuals and organization in the application of environmental best practices. Nature-Action Québec works with municipalities, businesses, community organizations and citizens to create collective projects that contribute to improving the environment, health, well-being and quality of life for the population of Quebec.
• With an area of 578 hectares, 43 % of which is already eternally protected, the Red Mill Bog constitutes one of the Mauricie region’s largest bogs. It is home to five species of bats, three of which are endangered, many other animal or vegetal species in precarious situations as well as an exception forestry ecosystem. Over $250,000 from the PEPN was used to protect a portion of the Red Mill Bog. This project was made possible by the financial compensation of the Fondation de la faune du Québec, the Fondation Écho, the City of Trois-Rivières and the Programme d’intendance de l’habitat pour les espèces en péril, and thanks to the collaboration of the Fondation Trois-Rivières pour un développement durable.