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Beloeil, June 9, 2022 – Nature-Action Québec (NAQ) and its partners are pleased to announce the acquisition of 11.21 hectares (ha) in addition to the 208.84 hectares already protected by NAQ within the important Vaudreuil-Soulanges Green Corridor in Mont Rigaud, which is home to exceptional forest ecosystems and a wide variety of plant and wildlife species.

Very high ecological value

Acquiring the property allows NAQ to consolidate the protection of habitats in Mont Rigaud. Elements of interest include overmature trees, wood debris and stubs that support several species. Stubs are dead trees that have not yet fallen to the ground and that provide, among other things, a suitable nesting and feeding site for many birds.

The natural environments on and around the property and the presence of marshes and mature forests provide a range of habitats suitable for many avian species, including the wood thrush and the Eastern wood pewee, which are designated as threatened and of special concern, respectively, under the Canadian Species at Risk Act. The ringneck snake and the smooth green snake, two species likely to be designated threatened or vulnerable in Quebec, are also present in Mont Rigaud.

The property is located on the territory targeted by the Greater Montreal Greenbelt conservation plan and also on a priority site under the Fondation de la faune du Québec’s “Protecting Wildlife Habitats” program, and is recognized as a territory of interest by the Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC.

Project partners

The acquisition and protection of this property is the result of financial contributions from several partners including Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), through the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk (HSP), and the Quebec government. The Quebec government’s contribution was made possible through a grant of more than $53M awarded to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) by the Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MELCC) to finance its Projet de partenariat pour les milieux naturels (PPMN). Under the PPMN, a portion of this financial assistance is redistributed to third party conservation organizations including Nature-Action Québec.

Quotations

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“Another step towards protection! Nature-Action Québec and I are delighted with this new acquisition of property on the ecologically valuable territory of Mont Rigaud. Each additional lot is a natural environment that will be preserved for future generations and where which many fauna and flora species can continue to live.”

Romy Bazo, Head of the Natural Environments Acquisition, Management and Enhancement Department, Nature-Action Québec.

Photo: Nature-Action Québec’s Natural Environments Acquisition, Management and Enhancement Department team. From left to right: Mégane Barlet, Sébastien Lévesque, Marc Delage, Léa Bouttier, Vincent Dumontier, Kate Marcoux, Liam Boivin, Romy Bazo, Amélie Thirion-Charlebois, Sarah Godin-Blouin, Étienne Daigneault, Catherine Brisebois, Vanessa Charbonneau.

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“By working with our partners, such as Nature-Action Québec, we can achieve our goal of protecting 25 percent of Canada’s land and ocean by 2025 and 30 percent by 2030. Our government is proud to support the acquisition of this property by Nature-Action Québec. Conserving the exceptional environment found at Mont Rigaud will contribute to the maintenance of biodiversity and the recovery of species at risk. Protecting our natural areas also ensures the well-being of our communities.”

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

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“Every hectare makes a difference when it comes to improving Quebec’s protected areas network. The acquired territory has indisputable ecological value and contributes to the protection of Mont Rigaud, which is home to many species in precarious situations. So this is great news! My department decided to fund the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Projet de partenariat pour les milieux naturels so as to protect this type of environment. I’d like to thank Nature-Action Québec for the important work they’ve done at Mont Rigaud!”

Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change, Minister Responsible for the Fight Against Racism, Minister Responsible for the Laval Region

About us

Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP)

The Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) was launched in 2000. It provides funding for projects submitted by Canadians that contribute directly to the recovery of species at risk under Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and prevent other species from becoming species at risk. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) administers funding for HSP projects that support terrestrial stewardship while Fisheries and Oceans Canada is responsible for administering HSP aquatic stewardship projects.

Natural Environment Partnership Project (PPMN)

The PPMN is a four-year grant of more than $53 million that the Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques awarded to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). By establishing financial partnerships with conservation organizations in the province, it provides support for initiatives protecting natural environments of interest. In this way, the PPMN aims to develop and consolidate Quebec’s network of protected areas located on private land.

Nature Conservancy of Canada

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is Canada’s leading private land conservation organization and a non-profit organization working to protect our most important natural environments and the species they support. Since 1962, the NCC and its partners have helped protect 14 million hectares from coast to coast, including nearly 48,000 in Quebec. For more information: natureconservation.ca.

Nature-Action Québec

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.

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Information:

Romy Bazo
Head of the Natural Environments Acquisition, Management and Enhancement Department
Nature-Action Québec
romy.bazo@nature-action.qc.ca
450-536-0422, ext. 401