11 Mar DONATION HELPS PROTECT NEARLY 24 HECTARES OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS IN BOLTON-EST
Bolton-Est, Québec (March 12, 2024) – Appalachian Corridor and Conservation des vallons de la Serpentine (CVS) are proud to announce the protection in perpetuity of 23.78 hectares (59 acres) of forest, wetland and water environments in the municipality of East Bolton.
A huge thank you to Mrs. Brien Dandurand for her generous ecological donation. This biodiversity-rich environment, located in the heart of a nucleus of habitat not far from Mont Chagnon, is now protected in perpetuity. This area adds to the 445 ha already protected by CVS in the Serpentine stream watershed.
A STORY FOR EVERY CONSERVATION PROJECT
The motivation behind a landowner’s decision to protect his or her natural heritage varies greatly from one project to the next. Indeed, each project has its own specificities. Conservation organizations therefore play an essential role in accompanying owners, advising them and responding appropriately to their expectations and questions.
Brien Dandurand’s project is no exception. A bond of trust was forged between CVS and the owner over 12 years ago. It was in 2019, however, that the project really got underway. Various voluntary conservation options were evaluated, including a conservation easement, before Mrs. Brien Dandurand, together with her children, chose to transfer full title via an ecological gift to CVS.
(From left to right) Me Sonia Lacasse, Mélanie Frenette – Conservation Advisor, Daphnée – Granddaughter, Renée Brien – Donor, Thomas Dandurand – Son of Mrs. Brien, Jean-Loup – Grandson and Françoise Bricault – CVS Director. (Valérie Dandurand – Daughter of Mrs. Brien was unable to attend the signing).
UNDENIABLE ECOLOGICAL INTEREST
The new protected area is composed of mature forest environments, as well as wetlands and hydric environments which are ubiquitous, counting nearly 10 hectares (25 acres) of treed swamps and marshes.
Ecological inventory work confirmed the presence of Two-leaved toothwort and Ostrich fern, two species designated vulnerable to harvesting in Quebec. As for wildlife, the property is rich in biodiversity. Mammals such as the American Beaver, White-tailed Deer, Snowshoe Hare, Silver-haired Bat and Hoary Bat have all been recorded. These two winged-mammal species are likely to be designated as threatened or vulnerable in Quebec.
As for avian fauna, 45 species were inventoried. Of these, 13 species are considered priorities by Environment Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service and Climate Change in the Quebec portion of the Northern Atlantic Forest Bird Conservation Region (BCR 14-Qc), as defined by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI), including White-throated Sparrow, Northern Parula, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Ovenbird, Northern Flicker and Solitary Vireo.
“Once again, the unique model of collaboration between Appalachian Corridor and its affiliated members, in this case Conservation des vallons de la Serpentine (CVS), has proved its worth. A collaboration that draws on the strengths of each organization and creates a real synergy to maximize conservation gains in the region. We are delighted to have provided our expertise and support to both parties throughout the project, and to have facilitated its completion. We especially salute the remarkable generosity of Mrs. Brien Dandurand, and hope that her gesture inspires other owners to consider conservation for the future of their property,” emphasizes Mélanie Lelièvre, Executive Director of Appalachian Corridor.
The protection of this environment would not have been possible without the great generosity of Mrs. Brien Dandurand through the Ecological Gift. From now on, the long-term future of the protected area is the responsibility of CVS, which will oversee the ecological integrity of the property. To this end, CVS has set up an endowment fund to finance ongoing management and stewardship expenses. To create this endowment fund and cover all project-related expenses, Appalachian Corridor and CVS would like to thank the following funders for their essential contributions: Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) through Projet de partenariat pour les milieux naturels, Fondation de la faune du Québec, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) program and the Canadian Wildlife Service. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Municipality of Bolton-Est.
The MELCCFP has granted more than $53 million in financial assistance to the Nature Conservancy of Canada for its Projet de partenariat pour les milieux naturels (PPMN), and the ECCC has granted Nature-Action Québec financial assistance under the Canada Nature Fund and its Défi program.
“Accompanying a property owner in his or her project to protect part of his or her heritage is never an easy task. All scenarios must be studied in order to select the one that best meets the expectations and objectives of the owners and their loved ones. The ties that grassroots organizations like CVS forge with their communities are at the heart of their actions. We are grateful to Mrs. Brien Dandurand for her trust in CVS throughout the process. We will ensure that her commitment to protecting the ecosystems that exist on this land is respected in perpetuity,” says Giuseppe (Joe) Marino, President of CVS.
On a regional scale, the acquisition is part of a conservation strategy aimed at preserving the rare core habitats of over 10,000 hectares in southern Quebec that are little or not fragmented. It represents a direct contribution to the preservation of a core habitat of over 16,900 hectares in the Appalachian Corridor.