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Photo: The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and the The Honourable François-Philippe Chanpagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry with conservancy partners.

Saint-Luc-de-Vincennes, August 30, 2024 –Nature-Action Québec (NAQ) and its partners, Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Quebec government and Éclore fonds environnement Trois-Rivières, are proud to announce two new acquisitions in the Mauricie region: 549 hectares in the Saint-Luc-de-Vincennes peat bog sector and 13.79 hectares in the Red Mill peat bog sector. The acquisition of 549 hectares marks the largest acquisition made by Nature-Action Québec since its creation as a conservation organization. These two acquisitions add to the 880 hectares already protected by the NAQ in the Mauricie region.

The importance of humic connectivity

These two open bogs, part of the vast Red Mill Bog wetland complex, are composed of wooded bogs, swamps and marshes. The aim of these new acquisitions is to enhance connectivity between these natural environments.

For the past 12 years, Nature-Action Québec and local municipal and community partners have been carrying out a number of projects, particularly in the Trois-Rivières area, with the aim of promoting good environmental practices and enabling the maintenance and conservation of this complex of richly biodiverse wetlands. Several factors make this vast complex a site of significant ecological interest, not least its expansiveness (measuring over 11 000 hectares). Today, it’s increasingly rare to find natural environments that have not been fragmented by urbanization, farming or industrial development. Although essential to human activities, they can also be highly detrimental to biodiversity and ecological services, which are also essential to humans. These acquisitions have made it possible to protect disturbance-sensitive wetlands, one of whose properties is that they are slowly built up over centuries through the gradual accumulation of soil organic matter.

The key role of peat bogs in carbon retention and the fight against climate change

Peat bogs are natural environments where the accumulation of organic matter that forms the soil is at least 30 cm thick, but can reach several metres in places. They began to form over 10 000 years ago!  These are wetlands colonized by suitable vegetation, offering ideal habitats for numerous species of birds, butterflies, insects, amphibians, mammals and reptiles. Recognized for their carbon stocks and the ability to retain it, peat bogs help mitigate greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In this way, they contribute to the fight against climate change.

Red Mill Bog (Photo: Nature-Action Québec)

Acknowledgements

This conservation success was made possible thanks to several financial partners:

• Environment and Climate Change, for its contribution of $4.9 million through the Canada Nature Fund. This project is part of over $6.9 million in funding from the Government of Canada to Nature-Action Québec as part of a flexible program of some fifteen projects aimed at conserving over 1000 hectares of private land highly prioritized for biodiversity in southern Quebec with a dozen partners.
• This project was carried out as part of the Accélérer la conservation dans le sud du Québec (ACSQ) project, a $144 million co-financing arrangement between the Quebec government and the Canada Nature Fund aimed at protecting and conserving natural environments of ecological interest on private land. Nature-Action Québec received over $2,387,761 in financial assistance from the ACSQ for this acquisition project..
• Éclore fonds environnement Trois-Rivières, for financial assistance of $48,950 from the Protection and Enhancement Program.
• Mr. Lavergne and Mr. Sébastien Bélanger for their outstanding support, which has enabled Nature-Action Québec to pursue its efforts to conserve Quebec’s natural ecosystems in perpetuity, as well as contribute to our governments’ global objective of protecting 30% of our natural environments by 2030.

Quotes

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“This site of high ecological value contributes not only to the conservation of the Mauricie region’s rich biodiversity, but also to the well-being of the community. I would like to thank Nature-Action Québec and its partners for their commitment and remarkable efforts to conserve healthy and resilient ecosystems. Together, we are working to achieve our objective to conserve 30 percent of Canada’s lands and oceans by 2030.” – The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

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“I applaud the announcement of these two new acquisitions, which speak to our desire to maintain connectivity within the network of protected areas and to assist local communities in benefiting from these areas. An interconnected network is more resilient and effective when it comes to conserving biodiversity in the face of climate change. I would like to thank Mr. Bélanger and Mr. Lavergne for their ecological donation, as well as all the partners who are mobilizing to protect our natural environments, because it is by working together that we can better preserve our rich natural heritage.” – Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, and Minister Responsible for the Laurentides Region

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“The Red Mill peat bog, located in the heart of the city of Trois-Rivières, is one of the largest peat bogs in the Mauricie region and is of undeniable ecological value. I'm delighted with the funding announced by Nature-Action Québec for this project on nearby land to ensure the preservation and protection of an exceptional natural environment.” – Sonia LeBel, MNA for Champlain, Minister responsible for Government Administration and Chair of the Conseil du trésor

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“Nature-Action Québec is signing a historic agreement to acquire and conserve nearly 550 hectares in the Saint-Luc-de-Vincennes bog! This acquisition will enable us to continue our efforts to protect in perpetuity and connect the Red Mill and Saint-Luc-de-Vincennes bogs. NAQ is protecting 880 hectares in this major sector, contributing to the efforts of our partners, the city of Trois-Rivières and Fondation 3R durable, to protect over 1,100 hectares in total. NAQ would like to thank all its partners involved in this acquisition, as well as the landowners, Mr. Bélanger and Mr. Lavergne, who have decided to be biodiversity allies. This acquisition was made through agreements with higher levels of government that accept a portfolio of projects rather than a single project. This flexibility is one of the solutions that we need to put in place to protect and restore 30 percent of the land in Quebec and Canada by 2030. We will not be able to achieve this objective with the means and frameworks of the past. We need everyone involved to think outside the box with a single objective in mind: to conserve our biodiversity much more quickly.” – Pascal Bigras, Executive Director, Nature-Action Québec

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“The Red Mill bog is a jewel of biodiversity that is crucial to our region's resilience in the face of climate change. Thanks to the partners who support our local conservation efforts and to Nature-Action Québec for spearheading this major project.” – Émilie Joly, Éclore Program Manager, Fondation Trois-Rivières durable

About us

For thirty-five years, the non-profit Nature-Action Québec has had the mission to guide individuals and organizations in applying better environmental practices. The organization works with municipalities, businesses, community organizations and citizens to carry out concrete projects that contribute to improving Quebecers’ environment, health, well-being and quality of life.

The Canada Nature Fund supports the protection of Canada’s biodiversity by creating protected and conserved areas and initiatives that help recover species at risk. The Fund is available to not-for-profit and Indigenous organizations, the provinces and territories, and others.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the country’s unifying force for nature. NCC seeks solutions to the twin crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale, permanent land conservation. As a trusted partner, NCC works with people, communities, businesses and government to protect and care for our country’s most important natural areas. Since 1962, NCC has brought Canadians together to conserve and restore more than 15 million hectares. In Quebec, NCC partners regularly with Conservation de la nature Québec, a non-profit organization that is distinct from NCC, to conserve Quebec’s richest natural areas. Together, the two organizations have conserved more than 55,000 hectares of natural areas in the province. To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca.

The Accélérer la conservation dans le sud du Québec (ACSQ) project is a co-funding agreement between the gouvernement du Québec and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), benefiting Quebec conservation organizations. The project aims to protect and conserve natural habitats of ecological interest, notably through the acquisition of private land, for protected and conserved areas and the establishment of ecological corridors. Through this, the ACSQ will promote the development and sound management of the network of protected areas on private land, as well as public access to nature. The gouvernement du Québec invested $144 million in the ACSQ over five years; this must be matched by NCC and its partners with other funds not provided by the gouvernement du Québec.

Éclore Fonds environnement Trois-Rivières is Quebec’s first fund entirely dedicated to environmental protection locally in Trois-Rivières, and was launched in August 2020. It supports environmental projects planned by and for the Trois-Rivières community, and has three key objectives: reducing collective greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, conserving and enhancing natural environments, and supporting the development of a sustainable economy. To find out more about Éclore, its Voluntary Carbon Market and various financing programs, visit its website.

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Informations

Sarah Touchette
Chargée de communication
Nature-Action Québec
sarah.touchette@nature-action.qc.ca
450 536-0422, poste 534