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Press Release

$1.5 M TO CONSOLIDATE AN ECOLOGICAL CORRIDOR BETWEEN QUÉBEC AND VERMONT

Québec, June 17, 2010. – Québec Premier Jean Charest, accompanied by Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks Line Beauchamp and MNA for Brome-Missisquoi Pierre Paradis today announced added financial support totalling nearly $1.5 M in the Brome-Missisquoi riding for seven projects to acquire land for the creation of protected areas. Acquiring these properties, covering more than 600 hectares, brings the project of a green corridor between Québec’s Mt. Orford and Mt. Sutton ecological zones and the Green Mountains of Vermont one step closer.

Premier Charest declared, “We are proud to contribute to this large-scale project that allows Québec and Vermont to pursue their common goals of protecting the natural heritage and enabling public access. Since 2003, Government of Québec financial aid has supported projects for the acquisition of private land and enabled the creation of protected areas totalling more than 6,000 hectares in the Sutton mountain region alone. Once again, Québec has shown just how seriously it takes the protection of biodiversity in the interests of the entire community.

I would like to especially underline the efforts made by the region’s conservation groups as part of our common determination to protect our natural heritage. They are indispensable partners, whose action contributes to safeguarding endangered species and preserving wildlife and plant diversity,” added Minister Line Beauchamp.

These land acquisition projects will enable the protection of forests where sugar maple dominates, but where we also find populations of rare hardwood like yellow birch and American Beeach, whose wood is of great value. What distinguishes parts of these forested areas is that the majority of trees are more than 90 years old.

The protected areas of the region surrounding Mts. Sutton are also host to bird populations of undeniable wealth that include the Black-throated Blue Warbler, Northern Parula and Blackburnian Warbler, species that have been identified as priorities by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI).

I firmly believe that in addition to contributing to saving threatened bird species, the ecological corridor will preserve ecosystems that are of benefit to our region’s animal species of,” stated MNA Pierre Paradis in concluding.

Partenaires pour la nature

Conservation de la nature - Québec, The Nature Conservancy of Canada, Association pour la conservation du mont Écho and Conservation des vallons de la Serpentine have worked in concert with the government and private parties interested in preserving our natural heritage to bring these acquisition projects to fruition. The financial aid granted today brings to $ 2.8 M the total amount that the government has invested in the region since October 2009 through the Partenaires pour la nature program.

A grant of more than $1.3 M was already made to Conservation de la nature - Québec to acquire regional woodlands for protected area purposes. A grant in the amount of $33,970 was also made to Appalachian Corridor and Memphremagog Conservation for voluntary conservation projects.

The Partenaires pour la nature (Partners for Nature) program supports public/private partnerships and aims at reinforcing the network of protected areas on private lands through group, individual and corporate conservation initiatives, as well as educating Québec society to the importance of protecting natural environments. The program has a budget of 25 million dollars over 5 years.

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SOURCE:

Hugo D’Amours
Press Officer
Cabinet of the Premier
Tel. 418 643-5321

Dave Leclerc
Press Officer
Cabinet of the Minister of
Sustainable Development,
Environment and Parks
Tel. 418 521-3911

INFORMATION:

Media Relations
Ministère du Développement durable,
de l’Environnement et des Parcs
Tel.: 418 521-3991

 

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