Parks and protected areas

CPAWS has been working since 2001 to create an effective network of protected areas in Quebec. We believe in creating large areas where both wilderness and wilderness lovers can coexist without worrying about the threat of industrial activity. In doing so, it is possible both to ensure the future of biodiversity and also to diversify the local economies, and allow cultural and social emancipation. CPAWS dreams of a Quebec where nature can live freely without human interference in at least 12% of the province.    

What are protected areas?

A protected area is a territory, either on land or water, whose borders are well defined, and has a legal status intended to protect its biodiversity and its culture. There are many types of protected area, with 22 types in Quebec alone. The level of protection is more strict in some (ecological reserve, national park, etc.), and more flexible in others (wildlife reserve, bird sanctuary, etc.). All of these must meet the international criteria set by the World Conservation Union (UICN). Whatever the status, no commercial exploitation of a protected area’s resources is permitted. This includes all forestry, mining, drilling or hydroelectric activities.   

In Quebec, the best known types of protected area are the provincial park (Mont-Tremblant, Gaspésie, Mont-Orford, Grands-Jardins, etc.) and the national park (Mauricie, Forillon, Mingan). This network only makes up a meagre 0.5% of Quebec’s territory. Wildlife reserves (La Vérandrye, des Laurentides, Mastigouche, etc.) are not protected areas because they allow industrial forestry, mining and hydroelectric damming. Wildfowl hunting controlled zones (ZEC), les hunting and fishing outfitters and private clubs are also not protected areas because they have no legal status, and industrial activities can occur on the land.

The most widespread type of protected areas are the biodiversity reserve and the  marine sanctuary (1.7% of Quebec’s area), two new designations created under the Natural Heritage Conservation Act (LCPN). These more flexible designations were conceived to gain wider appeal in the local communities, and usually apply to large areas of land.

What percentage of Quebec is protected?

As of May 2006, only 3.4% of Quebec is protected against all industrial exploitation. This figure includes areas for which all activity linked to industrial activity is formally forbidden, by a law or some other legal mechanism. In order to ensure that the whole of Quebec’s biodiversity be well represented by a network of protected areas, the government of Quebec divided its territory into natural regions. The aim of this is to divide Quebec into 13 major ecosystems.. The portion of each ecosystem that is protected is shown in the table below. 

The government of Quebec claims, as of May 2006 that 5.8% of its territory is protected, but this figure includes many areas that are not protected from industrial exploitation (e.g.: Anticosti Island, caribou herd calving grounds). Thus these areas do not meet the international conservation criteria set by the UICN. In order to remedy this embarrassing situation, the government, since 2002, was to publish a registry of protected areas that would set the record straight and eliminate disputed areas. This registry still has not been made public, nearly four years after the Natural Heritage Conservation Act came into effect. 

What promises has the government made?

Following the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, Jean Charest, then federal Minister of the Environment, set a goal of 12% of each province’s territory as part of a network of protected areas. In 2000, less than 1% of Quebec’s territory was protected. In order to make up for this crucial delay, Quebec undertook, by the Quebec Protected Areas Strategy (SQAP), to protect a total of 8% of its territory by 2005. The SQAP stipulates that these protected areas must be representative of the biodiversity of the whole province. This deadline was postponed to 2007-2008 by the Charest government, which since coming to power has announced a meagre 0.5% increase in protected areas. This fact is a glaring contradiction of a government which boasts making sustainable development one of its priorities.

How much of the other provinces is protected?

The amount of protected land in each province and territory is shown below:

Source: WWF Canada

If you want to compare the Canadian average to that of other countries in the world, visit the UN World database on protected areas at http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/wdbpa/. Click ‘Statistics’ on the left sidebar and then click ‘Information support to Millennium Development Goal 7.’  From there choose which region or country you are interested in. 

What does CPAWS want to see done?

CPAWS and its partners believe it is essential to protect a minimum of 12 % of Quebec’s territory, and thus approach the global average of about 13%. Consequently CPAWS insists on meeting the objectives set at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, protection of 12% of its territory.  This position is in accord with the Coulombe Commission which recommended 12% of the boreal forest be protected.

Why make protected areas?

• To conserve biodiversity (ecosystems, species, ecological processes) and the grandeur of Quebec’s landscapes
• To preserve zones that are a testament to Quebec’s natural heritage, sheltered from major human interference
• To keep natural global cycles (hydrological cycle, carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, etc.) in equilibrium
• To maintain wild and natural places, for the benefit of present and future generations
• To guard the cultural values of native communities
• For research, recreation and spirituality
• For socioeconomic benefits
• Because we all need nature!

What are the cultural and socioeconomic benefits to creating protected areas?

• Diversification of the economy through the development of ecotourism and leisure
• Responding to the pressure of markets and environmental certification
• Maintenance of the natives’ cultural values and way of life