Sutton and Lac-Brome. It is with great pride that the Association de conservation du Mont Écho (ACMÉ) and Appalachian Corridor announce the fulfillment of two ecological donations made by citizens of the Town of Brome Lake and Sutton. Their generosity will ensure the protection in perpetuity of nearly 20 hectares of additional ecologically valuable natural habitats in the area.

A PRIME LOCATION IN THE ECOLOGICAL NETWORK

In addition to the rich biodiversity of these natural environments, the two new protected parcels of land are also very well located within the ecological network.

In fact, one of the sites is directly located in a hub of habitats identified as priorities for conservation and is also adjacent to another protected area. The Appalachian Corridor natural environment conservation strategy prioritizes interconnected environments to ensure species movement.

A first 11.4-hectare protected area, located southeast of Chemin Parmenter in the Green Mountains Natural Region, constitutes a significant addition to our current protected areas. Located near Mont Écho, it makes a remarkable contribution to extending the ecological corridor of Réserve naturelle des Montagnes-Vertes.

A second 8.5-hectare protected area is located within the Town of Brome Lake. The landowner had long dreamed of ensuring its protection. During a ceremony held on her property last summer, her donation was celebrated by naming the new protected area Kpiwi Pmossa, an Abenaki name meaning “Wood Walkers”, in tribute to the Abenaki nation.

NO COST TO LANDOWNERS, ALL BENEFITS

Although both are ecogifts, conservation transactions do involve costs, as they require the intervention of several professionals, such as biologists, conservation advisors, geomatics surveyors and notaries. Appalachian Corridor is proud to be able, with the help of partners and financial backers, to cover all transaction costs. Property owners wishing to engage in a complete or partial ecological gift process therefore have no professional fees to pay.

Owners were able to take advantage of the Government of Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program. This program offers considerable tax advantages to owners who choose to invest in protection of biodiversity. Like other charitable donations, ecological gifts provide donators with a tax credit or deduction. What’s more, these gifts offer the advantage of eliminating any capital gains tax.

Appalachian Corridor and MECA would like to thank the following funders for their essential contributions: the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP), through its Partnership Project for Natural Environments (PPNE) as well as its Accelerating Conservation in Southern Quebec (ACSQ)  projects, and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

The MELCCFP granted $144 million in financial assistance to the Nature Conservancy of Canada for its Accelerating Conservation in Southern Quebec (ACSQ) project. This funding follows the more than $53 million granted by the Quebec government to Nature Conservancy of Canada for its Partnership for Natural Environments project. ECCC also granted financial assistance to Nature-Action Québec as part of the Canada Nature Fund.

QUOTES

“It’s thanks to landowners who make donations that conservation of natural environments is possible. Each parcel of protected land is important in ensuring ecological connectivity for species, as well as the resilience of natural environments in the face of climate change,” points out Mélanie Lelièvre, Executive Director of Appalachian Corridor.

“We are proud to support ACMÉ and Appalachian Corridor in making these ecological gifts a reality. These protected areas contribute to preserving the biodiversity of our territories and protecting ecosystems which are crucial to the future of our environment.”  Says Romy Bazo, Director of Conservation at Nature Action Québec.