100,000th Log Removed from the Lakes of La Mauricie National Park
News release
One more step towards restoring the park’s ecological integrity
August 27, 2018 Mauricie National Park, Quebec Parks Canada Agency
In 2004, Parks Canada launched the Conservation and Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems Program (CoRe) at La Mauricie National Park. This national initiative, still ongoing, aims to understand, protect, and restore aquatic ecosystems and preserve their ecological integrity.
Today, after 15 years of restoration efforts on some 20 lakes, the 100,000th log was removed from La Mauricie National Park by the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and MP for Saint-Maurice–Champlain. A log cleanup of this magnitude has never been undertaken before on a Parks Canada site.
Several decades of logging, log driving, hunting, and fishing in the area known today as La Mauricie National Park took a heavy toll on the local aquatic ecosystems. The CoRe project restores the lakes’ true nature by reintroducing indigenous brook trout populations, restoring the lakes’ normal water levels with the demolition of old logging dams, and removing logs from the lakes.
The conservation and restoration of La Mauricie National Park’s aquatic ecosystems are beneficial not only for the ecosystems themselves, but also for current and future generations of visitors, as they can once again access the beaches and shorelines of these magnificent lakes.
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Quotes
“After decades of logging operations, the removal of the 100,000th log from La Mauricie National Park is a pivotal moment in the region’s history. This event is the perfect opportunity to highlight Parks Canada’s conservation and restoration efforts and demonstrate the importance the Government of Canada has given to rebuilding ecological integrity.”
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne,
Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and MP for Saint-Maurice–Champlain
Quick facts
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The project's main objectives:
- Restore brook trout populations by preserving the genetic heritage.
- Restore the lakes’ natural water levels and water regime by demolishing old dams and other structures related to log driving and forestry operations.
- Clear the shores and lakebeds of logs and scraps of wood resulting from past logging activities. -
Parks Canada is a recognized world leader in conservation and manages one of the best ecological integrity monitoring systems in the world. The conservation and restoration program for La Mauricie National Park’s aquatic environments is one tangible example of this
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Contacts
Olivier Bellemare
Public Relations and Communications Officer
La Mauricie and Western Quebec Field Unit
Parks Canada
819- 852-1479
olivier.bellemare@pc.gc.ca
Media Relations
Parks Canada Agency
855-862-1812
pc.media@pc.gc.ca