Report - Agence canadienne d'évaluation environnementale

Chapter 8 Impacts on the natural environment
In the current chapter, the Panel first considers the project’s impacts on wooded
areas, wetlands and water environments. Then, it analyzes the project’s impacts on
fish and their habitat as well as on avian fauna. Finally, the Panel examines the
project’s impacts on protected plant species.
Project impacts on wooded areas
According to information communicated by the proponent, building the various
components of the project would require the deforestation of nearly 105 hectares (ha)
of wooded areas. This corresponds to approximately 50 ha for the terminal and 55 ha
for the natural gas pipeline.
Wooded areas in the terminal area
Table 16 provides the expected deforestation and reforestation measures in the area
of the proposed terminal’s land-based facilities. Figure 13 illustrates the areas
covered.
Table 16 Overall planned deforestation and reforestation in the terminal
area (ha)
Hardwood Mixedwood Peat-bog Plantation Total
Deforestation -5.3 -12.2 -5.7 -26 -49.2
Large-scale
reforestation 1
10 10
Small-scale
reforestation 2
18 18
Total
(net loss)
-21.2
1. Between 3 and 4-m high for hardwood trees or between 2 and 2.5-m high for conifers.
2. Naturalization with 20 to 30-cm high shoots.
Sources: adapted from PR5.1, p. 2.123; DQ44.3, p. 1 and 2; DQ62.1, p. 3; DQ79.8, p. 1; DM315, p. 50; DA55.
The aim of the ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune du Québec
(MRNF)’s guidelines for the preservation of wildlife habitats is to preserve both the
land and its features. In order to mitigate the impacts of expected deforestation in the
Rabaska Project – Implementation of an LNG Terminal and Related Infrastructure 199