West Brome, January 24, 2005 -- As part of his tour of the Eastern Townships, the Honourable Stéphane Dion, federal Minister of the Environment, announced today that a contribution of $1.1 million will be made to the Quebec Region of Nature Conservancy Canada. This contribution will both kick off and provide a substantial boost for the fund-raising campaign undertaken by Nature Conservancy Canada with the support of its partner Appalachian Corridor (ACA). It will help to maintain the Appalachian Corridor in the area of the Sutton Mountains, a project that involves local, national and American partners. “This conservation project is of particular importance to the government of Canada”, the Minister explained. “It will allow us to contribute to the conservation of biological diversity in one of the last remaining wild areas at the southern extremity of Quebec, where there are still substantial blocks of forest that have not been broken up. This area is home to at least thirty species at risk, including the Peregrine Falcon, the Bicknell's Thrush, and the Spring Salamander, and this explains the need for us to act quickly to ensure their protection”, the Minister added. Accompanying the Minister, the Honourable Denis Paradis, M.P. for Brome-Mississquoi, said that he hoped that this announcement would encourage the communities to respond generously to the call for protection of the Sutton Mountains. “The involvement of the communities and conservation organizations is essential if we wish to preserve this magnificent natural area and pass it on to future generations", he added. This project of Nature Conservancy Canada is part of a conservation initiative designed to protect the Sutton Mountains. “We are very grateful to the federal government, which has displayed leadership in our regional campaign to raise $3.5 million”, said Pierre Renaud, Regional Director of Nature Conservancy Canada. “In order to ensure that this project is a complete success, we invite the people in this area to invest in protecting this natural jewel for the benefit of this and future generations.” “We hail this substantial contribution by Environment Canada to the success of our concerted efforts to preserve the natural corridor of the Appalachians”, stated Terri Monahan, Director General of ACA. “We count on their continuing valuable support and on renewed support from private property owners and our local and national partners in order to continue our conservation activities.” Environment Canada has helped protect the Appalachian Corridor since 2001 through the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk (HSP). In the last four years, the Department has allocated more than $780,000, which brings Environment Canada’s total contributions to the region to almost two million dollars. Nature Conservancy Canada is a non-profit organization working to protect natural areas that are important in terms of biological diversity for future generations. It has been active in the field for more than forty years and has helped preserve more than 730,000 hectares across the country, including 13,000 in Quebec. Since 2001, Nature Conservancy Canada has protected more than 60 km2 of forest, streams and marsh in the Sutton Mountains, and this has created the largest private protected natural area in eastern Canada. The Appalachian Corridor (ACA) is a non-profit conservation organization whose mission is to protect natural habitat in the Appalachian area. Using a cross-border conservation strategy, ACA supports the actions of conservation and other organizations as they help to protect natural areas. For more information, please contact: Paul Milot, Communications Advisor Environment Canada (418) 649-8070 Kathleen Provost, Director of Development and Communications Nature Conservancy Canada, Quebec Region (514) 876-1606 Extension 25 kathleen.provost@conservationdelanature.ca
