Cover photos: Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune, G. Brunet et V. Gérardin Reference: Gouvernement du Québec, 2009. Réserve de biodiversité Uapishka–Conservation Plan. Québec, Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs, Direction du patrimoine écologique et des parcs. 28 pages. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................ 1 1 THE TERRITORY OF THE BIODIVERSITY RESERVE............................................................. 2 1.1 CONSERVATION PROJECT BACKGROUND ..........................................................................................2 1.2 OFFICIAL TOPONYM .........................................................................................................................2 1.3 GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION ..............................................................................................................2 1.4 ECOLOGICAL PORTRAIT....................................................................................................................3 1.5 OCCUPATION AND LAND USE............................................................................................................5 2 CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT...................................................................................... 5 2.1 PROTECTION OF THE BIODIVERSITY..................................................................................................5 • Rationalization of the use of snowmobiles:.............................................................................. 6 • Protection of the natural character of the landscapes:........................................................... 6 • Knowledge acquisition and follow-up:....................................................................................... 6 2.2 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION ...............................................................................7 • Offer education and awareness activities: ............................................................................... 7 • Harmonizing uses:....................................................................................................................... 8 3 ZONING ........................................................................................................................................... 8 3.1 ZONE I..............................................................................................................................................8 3.2 ZONE II ............................................................................................................................................9 4 ACTIVITY FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................................... 9 4.1 LEGAL FRAMEWORK UNDER THE NATURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION ACT.......................................9 4.2 OTHER ACTIVITIES GOVERNED BY OTHER LAWS.............................................................................10 5 MANAGEMENT................................................................................................................................11 5.1 RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE MINISTER OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENT AND PARKS. .......................................................................................................................................................11 5.2 PARTICIPATION OF OTHER ACTORS AND INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT ............................................11 5.3 FOLLOW-UP....................................................................................................................................12 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................... 12 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................................................... 13 APPENDIX 1 : RÉSERVE DE BIODIVERSITÉ UAPISHKA : TERRITORY LOCATION AND REGIONAL CONTEXT ............................................................................................... 15 APPENDIX 2 : RÉSERVE DE BIODIVERSITÉ UAPISHKA : BOUNDARIES AND TERRITORY USE.................................................................................................................................. 17 APPENDIX 3 : RÉSERVE DE BIODIVERSITÉ UAPISHKA : ZONING......................................... 19 APPENDIX 4 : ACTIVITIES FRAMEWORK IN THE RÉSERVE DE BIODIVERSITÉ UAPISHKA..................................................................................................................... 21 Conservation Plan Réserve de biodiversité Uapishka Conservation Plan Réserve de biodiversité Uapishka Introduction proposed Monts Groulx (Uapishka) and Île René-Levasseur (Météorite) protected area projects. The BAPE’s mandate began on In May 2002, the Québec government took April 11, 2003, and ended on September 11 the necessary administrative measures to of the same year. The commission held ensure the protection of part of Monts public hearings in Baie-Comeau on May 12 Groulx by prohibiting the main industrial and 13, and June 9 and 10, 2003. The activities likely to jeopardize the conserva- BAPE’s investigation and public consultation tion of that environment (forestry, hydroelec- report (report 181) was submitted to the tricity and mining activities). Minister of the Environment in September 2003. The legal provisional status of proposed biodiversity reserve was officially granted to The commission recommended assigning this part of Monts Groulx on June 19, 2003, permanent status as soon as possible to the under section 90 of the Natural Heritage protected areas given the strong local and Conservation Act (R.S.Q., c. C-61.01). regional support they received. By attributing a status of permanent pro- This conservation plan was developed by tected area to the Réserve de biodiversité the Ministère du Développement durable, de Uapishka, the Québec government provides l’Environnement et des Parcs (MDDEP) definitive protection to representative sam- further to the consultation and recommenda- ples of the biodiversity of the Central tions of the BAPE. It sets forth the vision of Laurentides Mountains natural province (Li the conservation and development of the and Ducruc, 1999) and specifically ecosys- territory of the Réserve de biodiversité tems that are representative of the natural Uapishka. It reiterates a large part of the region of the Sainte-Marguerite plateau, document prepared by the Ministère in April which is characterized by a plateau covered 2003 for the public consultation and takes in a very dense network of fractures that into account the recommendations in BAPE make up an alternating pattern of parallel report no. 181. The conservation plan thus hills and valleys. reflects the concerns of all the government and non-government players involved, within This biodiversity reserve is integrated into a the context of the project, in the implementa- vast network of representative and excep- tion of the Strategic action plan for protected tional protected areas that cover Québec’s areas. various types of ecosystems. It was selected mainly for its particular features related to The objective of this conservation plan is to the ecosystems it shelters. The creation of inform the public about the legislative the Réserve de biodiversité Uapishka aims framework that will apply to the biodiversity to protect a mountain range where the reserve. Section 4 of the document intro- vegetation succession extends from the duces the Activities framework, which is boreal forest to the tundra. All these ecosys- completed by the standards additional to tems contain a unique biodiversity and the those in the act found in Appendix 4. The fact that they are found in such a small area conservation plan also aims to guide the is exceptional in itself. The grand land- Management Committee, which will be scapes are another reason justifying the created by specifying the conservation and selection of this site. These landscapes are development objectives specific to the in fact already enjoyed by a good number of Réserve de biodiversité Uapishka. These hikers who visit the area. objectives, found in sections 2.1 and 2.2, are summarized as follows: On March 31, 2003, the Minister of the Environment mandated the Bureau • Protecting the biodiversity; d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement Rationalise use of snowmobiles; (BAPE) to hold a public consultation on the Protect the natural character of the landscapes; Conservation Plan Réserve de biodiversité Uapishka 1 Encourage knowledge acquisition Sept-Rivières in the Monts Groulx territory. and follow-up; • Develop the territory; The creation of the Réserve de biodiversité Offer education and awareness rais- Uapishka therefore supports a regional ing activities; desire to protect the territory and reflects the Harmonise uses. sustainable development view taken with world biosphere reserves. 1 The territory of the biodi- versity reserve 1.2 Official toponym 1.1 Conservation project back- The official name is Réserve de biodiversité ground Uapishka. Uapishka is the name given by the Innu to the Monts Groulx massif and Since the construction of Route 389 in 1987, means “rocky summits always covered in the territory of Monts Groulx has been snow” (Drapeau 1994). visited by numerous hikers, skiers and backcountry enthusiasts. 1.3