Four lots protected at Pointe-du-Domaine for conservation: 11 hectares of woodland preserved
The Town of Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot (NDIP) and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) today announced the recent acquisition of four lots in the Pointe-du-Domaine sector.
Two of these lots, protected by the Town of Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot, total six hectares. Their acquisition, at a cost of more than $3.5 million, was made possible thanks to the financial support of:
- the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) and the gouvernement du Québec, through the programme de la Trame verte et bleue of Greater Montreal ($1.4M equally divided).
- NCC and its partners:
- the Government of Canada, through Environment and Climate Change Canada's Canadian Nature Fund, Priority Species Stream, awarded to Nature-Action Québec ($457,000);
- the gouvernement du Québec, through the Projet de partenariat pour les milieux naturels (PPMN) under the ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte aux changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) ($299,000);
- the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) ($256,000); and
- Alliance Age of Union ($6,000).
- The Town of Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot ($150,000).
The newly acquired lots will be subject to a perpetual conservation agreement. As the landowner, the Town of NDIP will have to comply with certain rules aimed at maintaining the integrity of the natural environment, of which NCC will be the steward.
These two lots are twinned with two other lots of five hectares, which were acquired by NCC in 2022, thanks to a total financial contribution of more than $1M, with the financial support of the:
- the gouvernement du Québec, through the PPMN ($537,000);
- the Government of Canada, through the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund ($462,000);
- Alliance Age of Union ($41,000);
- Echo Foundation ($40,000) and
- the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, under NAWCA ($269).
Thanks to financial support from the gouvernement du Québec, as part of the Accélérer la Conservation dans le Sud du Québec (ACSQ) project, NCC has begun species inventories, drawn up a property management plan and carried out monitoring visits to the woodland at Pointe-du-domaine.
The woodlands and wetlands in the Pointe-du-Domaine sector were identified by NCC due to their high biodiversity level. The forest is generally undisturbed and at an intermediate stage of maturity. The site is rich in shade-tolerant hardwood and mixed stands. Several plant species have been observed here, including American cancer-root, a plant designated as threatened, and three plants likely to be designated as provincially threatened or vulnerable. South of the woodland, two wetlands and an intermittent stream provide occasional habitat for chorus frog, a species designated as threatened in Quebec and Canada.
Quotes
“Despite the challenges encountered and the patience required to carry out a project of this kind, it's a pleasure to be working to protect this woodland that is so highly valued by the Île Perrot residents. We look forward to working with them to care for this beautiful natural environment and the wonders it contains.” – Annie Ferland, Project Manager, Nature Conservancy of Canada
“For the Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot council, conserving and enhancing our green spaces is at the heart of what we do. Like our residents, we are very proud to live in an area that is two-thirds woodland and farmland. With the creation of the Parc-nature and the acquisition of lots in Pointe-du-Domaine, we are continuing to promote access to nature for the whole of the Île Perrot community.” – Danie Deschênes, Mayor, Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot
“Pointe-du-Domaine is a rich natural environment on Île Perrot. The acquisition of these four lots will help preserve its biodiversity. I'm proud to see that, as part of Greater Montreal's green and blue network, the partnership between the Quebec government, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal and the Town of Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot is making it possible to carry out projects to protect woodlands of importance to the local population and to neighboring region populations.” – Marilyne Picard, MLA for Soulanges
“Projects like the one at Pointe-du-Domaine demonstrate the relevance and mobilizing effect of the green and blue network in protecting the metropolitan region's ecosystems and the species that make them up. Thanks to it, and to all the partners involved, the Greater Montreal population will be able to enjoy the benefits of these woodlands of high ecological value, as well as benefiting from an almost intact natural environment in an urban setting.” – Lise Michaud, Mayor, Mercier and member of the Executive Committee of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal
"I would like to welcome the announcement of the acquisition of two lots in the Pointe-du-Domaine sector of Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot. I thank the conservation organizations and partners who made this announcement possible. Protecting and restoring our natural environments contributes to the enhancement of our network of protected areas, especially on private land, increasing its representativeness in southern Québec, where biodiversity is the richest, but also the most threatened." – Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, and Minister responsible for the Laurentides region
“The Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund plays a crucial role in our fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. By partnering with the Nature Conservancy of Canada and local organizations, we are enhancing the country’s capacity to capture and store carbon while also working to restore habitat for species at risk, such as the Western Chorus Frog. Our government is committed to achieving its 2030 and 2050 climate change mitigation objectives of halting biodiversity loss by 2030 and ensuring nature's full recovery by 2050. We will continue collaborating with organizations nationwide to achieve these critical goals.” – The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
"As a recipient of the Canada Nature Fund granted by ECCC, Nature-Action Québec is pleased to contribute financially to the project, thereby consolidating the permanent protection of the Western Chorus Frog’s critical habitat on Île Perrot, in an area where the species remains highly vulnerable. The collaboration between all stakeholders is a key factor in the success of recovery projects for this species at risk." – Jérôme Maurice, Director of Natural Habitat Restoration at Nature-Action Québec
"Protecting the woodlands and wetlands of Pointe-du-Domaine, in Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot, so close to Montreal, is an invaluable opportunity. We have the privilege of having this natural gem so close to home. Age of Union is proud to partner with this initiative to preserve our biodiversity and combat climate change. Actions like today's demonstrate how collaboration plays a key role in protecting nature, which is essential for our survival." — Dax Dasilva, Founder, Age of Union
About
The Trame verte et bleue is a recreational and tourism network that protects and enhances the natural environments, landscapes, and built heritage of Greater Montreal for the benefit of its citizens. Funded by the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, the gouvernement du Québec, and the municipalities, the various projects of the Trame verte et bleue promote active and collective transportation, and contribute notably to maintaining biodiversity, mitigating the impacts of climate change, improving the quality of life of citizens, and strengthening the attractiveness of the metropolitan region. For more information, visit www.cmm.qc.ca.
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, including more than 55,000 hectares in Quebec. To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca.
Canada’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (NSCSF) is a $1.4 billion, ten-year fund (2021–2031) administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada to help conserve, restore, and enhance the management of ecosystems such as wetlands, forests, and grasslands, in order to help tackle the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. The NSCSF will focus on three main objectives: (1) conserving carbon-rich ecosystems at high risk of conversion to other uses that would release their stored carbon; (2) improving land management practices to reduce their greenhouse gas emission-causing impacts; and (3) restoring degraded ecosystems. Overall, these projects will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and increased carbon sequestration, while also providing benefits for biodiversity and human well-being.
The Canada Nature Fund supports the protection of Canada’s biodiversity through the creation of protected and conserved areas and through initiatives that help to recover species at risk. The Fund is available to not-for-profit and Indigenous organizations, provinces and territories, and others.
For over 38 years, Nature-Action Québec, a non-profit organization, has been dedicated to guiding individuals and organizations in the implementation of best environmental practices. The organization works with municipalities, businesses, community organizations, and citizens to carry out concrete projects that contribute to improving the environment, health, well-being, and quality of life of Quebec population.
The gouvernement du Québec adminsters the Projet de partenariat pour les milieux naturels (PPMN). The PPMN is a four-year grant of more than $53 million from the ministère de l’environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs to NCC. It provides support for voluntary conservation initiatives to ensure the protection of natural areas of interest by establishing financial partnerships with conservation organizations in the province. The PPMN thus aims to develop and consolidate Québec's network of protected areas located on private land. It follows on from the Ensemble pour la nature project, which ended on March 31, 2020, and had similar objectives.
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 and conserved 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.
Le North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) is a program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Age of Union is a non-profit environmental alliance that supports and makes visible a global community of changemakers working on the ground to protect the planet’s threatened species and ecosystems. Launched in October 2021 by tech leader and environmental activist Dax Dasilva in Montreal, Canada, Age of Union seeks to ignite a flame within every person through conservation efforts that solve critical environmental challenges around the world and inspire high-impact change by showing the positive impact that every individual can make.
Learn More
Follow us on on X (formerly Twitter): x.com/NCC_CNC | x.com/NCC_CNCMedia
Find us on Facebook
- 30 -
