01 Oct APPALACHIAN CORRIDOR TEAM CELEBRATES 2019-2020 ACHIEVEMENTS
Eastman, Quebec (October 1, 2020) – Appalachian Corridor held its annual general meeting last Saturday to present its 2019-2020 annual report and celebrate the many achievements accomplished over the course of the last fiscal year.
“Although the world is running at reduced speed at the present moment, it is not the case for our team,” told Marie-José Auclair, chair of Appalachian Corridor’s board of directors, during the virtual meeting. “Throughout the last fiscal year, which concluded at the end of March, and in spite of the exceptional situation, we have deployed all efforts to advance our mission of protecting natural environments in the Appalachians of southern Quebec.”
The employees of Appalachian Corridor stand in front of their new offices located in Eastman.
HIGHLIGHTS
In 2019-2020, Appalachian Corridor, in collaboration with many partners, enabled the addition of 699 additional hectares of perpetually protected land on its territory of action. When adding public land, the total coverage of protected land on Appalachian Corridor’s territory of action has increased from 7.4 to 7.6 percent compared to last year.
“The completion of nine land acquisition projects – including that of Mount Foster – in addition to 20 ecological evaluation projects and eight knowledge acquisition projects are some of the highlights of our 2019-2020 year,” explained Mélanie Lelièvre, executive director for Appalachian Corridor. “I’m proud of our team which continues to advance our conservation and stewardship mission for our precious territory of action for the benefit of the environment as well as surrounding communities.”
Appalachian Corridor’s 2019-2020 fiscal year concluded with balanced budget of three million dollars of which close to 70 percent was allocated to land acquisition and protection activities. The organization also invested in the following activities:
- Realization of eight ecological knowledge acquisition projects including some featuring species at risk;
- Management and surveillance of the Réserve naturelle des Montagnes-Vertes (RNMV) spanning more than 70 km2;
- Enhancement of trails and hiking infrastructures at Mont Foster and Mont Singer sector;
- Surveillance and management of 55 protected properties;
- Ongoing support of our 17 affiliate members through consultations, common conservation project planning and educational workshops.
A TEAM EFFORT
For the completion of these projects, Appalachian Corridor wishes to thank its 17 affiliate members, its national partner, Nature Conservancy of Canada as well as its funding partners : Gouvernement of Canada, Government of Québec, Fonds d’appui au rayonnement des régions (FARR Estrie), Sweet Water Trust, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Fondation de la faune du Québec (FFQ), Echo Fondation, TD Friends of the Environment Foundatiom, Bird Protection Quebec, Wildlife Acoustics, Rando Québec, the municipalities of Bolton-Est, Stukely-Sud, Bolton-Ouest, Orford and Austin townships, as well as many generous donors.
Appalachian Corridor also wishes to thank its board members for 2019-2020:
- Marie-José Auclair, President
- Gilles DuSablon, Vice-president
- Robert Benoit, Tresorer
- Louise Gratton, Secretary
- Michel Boivin, Administrator
- Michel Bélanger, Administrator
- Luc Dumouchel, Administrator
- Marie-Claire Planet, Delegate for western territory members
- Françoise Bricault, Delegate for eastern territory members
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2020-2021
With the new fiscal year already underway, the organization plans to build on its positive momentum to complete new major acquisition projects as well as other conservation and stewardship initiatives.
Appalachian Corridor’s activities for 20202-201 are bound to be fruitful following the recent announcement of a 13-million-dollar Government of Québec grant offered through the Projet de partenariat pour les milieux naturels (PPMN) and for which the organization will receive 1.8 million dollars over three years for new conservation projects.
Beyond its biodiversity protection activities, Appalachian Corridor also hopes to leverage the coming months to close its fundraising campaign aimed at raising 150,000 dollars to finance the purchase of new offices in Eastman.
With respect to its governance, all board members plan to continue with their commitments for two more years to ensure stability to the organization.
“The current health context reminds us of the essential role of a healthy environment and of the critical importance of quality ecosystems. The work achieved by the Appalachian Corridor team and our partners has never been more important as we aim to protect and highlight our natural environments which are increasingly solicited and fragilized,” added Lelièvre.
“By working strategically and in partnership with all stakeholders who value the environment, we can have a concrete and lasting impact on our magnificent region. I have confidence that we have the tools and the collective willingness to build on our successes. Our organization enjoys a terrific credibility and most importantly, a relentless support from our communities,” she concluded.
Appalachian Corridor’s annual report for 2019-2020 is available here.
For more information, contact:
Marie-Hélène Thibeault
Communications and philanthropy coordinator
Appalachian Corridor
579-488-6670
www.corridorappalachien.ca