The Montreal Metropolitan Community (CMM) and its 82 municipalities intend to protect more than 53,000 hectares of natural environments, including the entire habitat of the endangered chorus frog.
Meeting Thursday morning, the elected members of the CMM ratified an interim control regulation (ICR) aimed at adding more than 12,000 hectares of land and wetlands to the areas already protected. The protected areas will include 3,313 hectares covering all of the chorus frog habitat.
The environments protected by the RCI correspond to 22.3% of the territory of the CMM, or the equivalent of the area of the island of Montreal. “The CMM has decided to take major measures to protect natural environments and to bring us closer to our common objective of protecting and even exceeding 17% of the territory of the CMM”, indicated Valérie Plante, who also chairs the CMM. The Mayor of Montreal reminded that currently, this rate is limited to 10%. “We don’t have time to fool around. »
The Mayor of Longueuil, Catherine Fournier, however, acknowledged that the RCI would not allow us to return to the past. Thus, she admitted, it will not be possible to rehabilitate the habitat of the tree frog following the work to extend Boulevard Béliveau. “It is very deplorable, but I am still proud that today, in 2022, we are giving ourselves the legal means that will allow us to act as a municipality. »
In the case of the Canadian National site, which backfilled the Darveau marsh in August 2021 and destroyed the batrachian habitat, discussions are underway with the company to see what measures could be put in place to rehabilitate the natural environment. , she explained. “But it’s very unlikely to restore the species,” she said.
Further details will follow.
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