Protected Areas in Quebec: We are Sleeping Like a Log!

Posted on February 15, 2006

Let's Wake Up the Government!

MONTREAL - Actress Sophie Cadieux and the Réseau québécois des groupes écologistes (RQGE), Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), Nature Québec/UQCN and World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada), partners in the Initiative Aux arbres citoyens!, are launching today their new outreach campaign "Sleeping Like a Log!". The web-based campaign invites Canadians to take action by asking the government to take concrete steps regarding protected areas. It is time for the provincial authorities to take the Quebec Protected Areas Strategy (QPAS) seriously and to carry out the international conservation commitments they have made.

Actress Sophie Cadieux, official spokesperson for this campaign, believes that "by choosing to protect these exceptional aspects of our natural heritage, we are acting for the benefit of our children, ourselves and the generations to come." The Aux arbres citoyens! Initiative aims to obtain over 10,000 signatures using web-based animation to deliver the message. This call to action will then be presented to the head of the current provincial government, Jean Charest. "I invite everyone to participate by signing the petition to protect the Boreal Forest. Talk to your family and friends about getting involved, since only together can we wake up the government," adds Sophie Cadieux.

The four partner organizations point out that Quebec is clearly lagging behind when it comes to dealing with protected areas: Barely 3.4% of its territory is really protected from industrial activities. Since the QPAS was put forth in 2001, not only have the objectives not been reached, but announcements of new protected areas are scarce. When compared with the international average of more than 12%, Quebec is way behind in terms of conservation. The Coulombe Commission report on Quebec public forest management recommends that 8% of the province be protected by 2006, and that 12% of the Boreal Forest be protected by 2010.

To fix this situation, the partners of the Aux arbres citoyens! Initiative have identified two exceptional and intact Boreal Forest sites, and are asking the government to protect those as a means to reach its objective of 8% protected areas. The 7,400 km2 site bordered by Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Nord-du-Québec and Mauricie regions, called "Pascagama", is supported by artist Richard Desjardins. The "Vallée des Montagnes Blanches", an approximate 9,000 km2 woodland caribou "nursery" bordering on the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Côte-Nord regions, is supported by actor Germain Houde.

This new campaign has already received support from various environmental groups, First Nations communities and stakeholders in the tourism and recreation industry. Spokesperson Sophie Cadieux, RQGE, CPAWS, Nature Québec/UQCN and WWF-Canada are asking citizens to support this campaign by signing the petition at www.sleepinglikealog.com

Additional Information and Material:
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- The Web site for the campaign is www.sleepinglikealog.com
- Photographs and information on spokesperson Sophie Cadieux, the
proposed sites as well as their sponsors, and statistics and
figures on the QPAS are available at www.auxarbrescitoyens.com
- Protected areas are legally designated territories in which all
industrial activity is prohibited, but in which recreational
activities, ecotourism, research activities, etc., can be
carried out.
- Information on Canada's Boreal region and the Boreal Forest
Conservation Framework, a vision to balance protection and
sustainable development, is available at www.borealcanada.ca

Interviews can be arranged with:
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Sophie Cadieux, Actress, Spokesperson for the "Sleeping Like a Log !" Campaign
Luc Bouthillier, Professor, Laval University
Mélanie Desrochers, Coordinator, Aux arbres citoyens! Initiative
Henri Jacob, Forest Manager, RQGE
Jean-François Gagnon, Executive Director, CPAWS
Jean-Eric Turcotte, General Director, Nature Québec/UQCN
Sébastien Cloutier, Manager- Boreal Forest Campaign, WWF-Canada

As of February 14, 2006, the "Sleeping Like a Log!" campaign is supported by more than 50 organisations and individuals.

For further information: Stéphanie Jagou, Communications Manager,
Telephone: (514) 866-7800, ext. 25, Cellular Phone: (514) 208-3911,
sjagou@wwfcanada.org