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June/July 2013 - Community Connections

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<strong>Community</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> Page 3<br />

<strong>June</strong>/<strong>July</strong> <strong>2013</strong><br />

Deux-Montagnes' Boisé-<br />

Roger-Lemoine : First<br />

Nature Reserve Owned<br />

by a Municipality.<br />

The City of Deux-Montagnes and the<br />

members of the Corporation des boisés et<br />

des parcs naturels de Deux-Montagnes are<br />

proud to announce that the 8.14 hectare<br />

Boisé-Roger-Lemoine, property in Deux<br />

-Montagnes, is now recognized as a nature<br />

reserve under the Natural Heritage<br />

Conservation Act. This is the first ever<br />

nature reserve to be owned by a municipality.<br />

In fact, on January 3, <strong>2013</strong>, the Ministry<br />

of Sustainable Development, Environment,<br />

Wildlife and Parks (MDDEFP)<br />

issued a public notice in the Gazette officielle<br />

du Québec to announce that the<br />

Boisé-Roger-Lemoine Nature Reserve,<br />

owned by the City of Deux-Montagnes,<br />

is now recognized as a nature reserve in<br />

accordance with Section 58 (chapter C-<br />

61.01) of the Natural Heritage Conservation<br />

Act. This recognition is valid for<br />

a period of 100 years.<br />

"The protection of biodiversity is everyone's<br />

business. The approach taken by<br />

the City of Deux-Montagnes and the<br />

members of the Corporation des boisés et<br />

des parcs naturels de Deux-Montagnes<br />

serves as an example for the entire<br />

Province," declared Yves-François<br />

Blanchet, MDDEFP Mintster. "No doubt<br />

the Boisé-Roger-Lemoine will contribute<br />

to the quality of life and civic pride<br />

of the citizens of Deux-Montagnes."<br />

"The City submitted an extended request<br />

to the MDDEFP to ensure that all<br />

81,394.7 m 2 of the Boisé-Roger-Lemoine<br />

would be recognized as a nature reserve<br />

for the next 100 years, especially<br />

since this is the first nature reserve to be<br />

owned by a municipality," said Mayor<br />

Marc Lauzon.<br />

"As an elected official, I want to emphasize<br />

the memorable efforts made by all<br />

the volunteer members of the Corporation<br />

des boisés de Deux-Montagnes over<br />

the course of this wonderful project. As<br />

President of the Corporation, I also want<br />

to point out the valuable collaboration<br />

of the City council and staff. Thanks to<br />

this recognition, we have ensured the<br />

conservation of the exceptional natural<br />

characteristics of these woods for a century,"<br />

said Mario Saint-Charles, Deux-<br />

Montagnes City Councillor and President<br />

of the Corporation des boisés et des<br />

parcs naturels de Deux-Montagnes.<br />

Composed of a wooded area and a cattail<br />

marsh, the Boisé is home to a diverse<br />

selection of flora and fauna. The<br />

cattail is recognized for its ability to<br />

eliminate certain impurities in water.<br />

The wooded area is an old hardwood<br />

forest that serves as a refuge for plants<br />

likely to be endangered or vulnerable in<br />

Québec. Therein, we find black ash, red<br />

ash, beech, American lime and red elm.<br />

Some sugar maples have even been<br />

estimated at 225<br />

years old, a rare<br />

occurrence in a<br />

near-urban forest.<br />

The fauna also encompasses<br />

a rich<br />

variety of wildlife.<br />

It is home to redshouldered<br />

hawks,<br />

cardinals, blue jays,<br />

black-capped chickadees, wood ducks<br />

and mallards, different kinds of woodpeckers,<br />

brown snakes, chipmunks,<br />

squirrels and snowshoe hares.<br />

As part of the agreement of recognition<br />

of a nature reserve, signed by the City<br />

and the MDDEFP, the City of Deux-<br />

Montagnes commits to the following<br />

conservation objectives:<br />

1- Conserve a natural and indigenous<br />

forest cover in an urban<br />

context;<br />

2- Maintain and enhance conditions<br />

favourable to species that<br />

are endangered, vulnerable or<br />

likely to be designated as such;<br />

3- Promote the conservation of<br />

green spaces and provide refuge<br />

for flora and fauna in an<br />

urban context;<br />

4- Maintain the vocation of a<br />

natural park in an urban area.<br />

The City also agrees not to change the<br />

dedication of the property, nor to sell<br />

it, trade it or perform any other transaction<br />

that could affect its protection<br />

status, unless the Minister has been<br />

previously consulted.

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