New protected areas in southern Quebec

(Montreal) The Minister of the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change, Benoit Charette, announced on Friday his intention to create eleven new protected areas, mostly in the south of the province, which is a delight for environmentalists, who have been calling for the protection of more forests and ecosystems in southern Quebec for a long time.

The government intends to add nearly 2000 km² to the network of protected territories.

“The creation of protected areas is still one of the best tools for promoting long-term nature conservation and the adaptation of species and ecosystems to climate change,” Minister Charette said in a press release.

A coalition of Aboriginal representatives, environmental organizations, health professionals and outdoor actors deplored the fact that dozens of requests for the protection of urban and peri-urban forests in the south of the province had been abandoned by the Legault government in 2020. According to these groups, of which the Society for Nature and Parks (SNAP Québec) is a member, the government had chosen to protect mainly forests in the north of the province, because they are of little interest to the industry. forest.

But after Friday morning’s announcement, CPAWS Quebec praised the government’s efforts.

“We are delighted with this announcement, which demonstrates the government’s renewed desire to fill the gaps in southern Quebec and to offer local natural environments to the population. However, Quebec must quickly adopt a game plan to achieve 30% protected areas by 2030 and confirm additional investments estimated at $50 million per year for the protection of public land”, indicated Alain Branchaud, general manager at SNAP Quebec.

CPAWS points out that of the 83 projects shelved by the government in December 2020, 23 have since been granted protection.

Nature Québec also described Minister Charette’s announcement as “good news”, recalling however the need to protect more territories in the south, even if they include forests coveted by the forest industry.

“To reach our new target of protecting 30% of the territory by 2030, the government will have to increase these types of announcements in order to create a representative network of protected areas, particularly where pressures on biodiversity are the strongest. . To achieve this, all they have to do is give the green light to the dozens of protected area projects located south of the commercial forest limit that remain on the waiting list,” said Alice-Anne Simard, Director General of Nature Quebec.