The Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc Protected Area Coalition will receive $196,000 to work on the proposal for a protected area in the municipality. The money will be used to prepare the official request to preserve this territory near La Mauricie National Park.
“This money will be used to characterize the territory, make inventories of endangered wildlife species such as the wood turtle, locate ancient forests, assess the potential for trails and accommodation,” explains Éric Proulx, the director general of the new St-Mathieu-du-Parc Protected Area Coalition. The organization was officially founded last April. It is the result of citizen mobilization who wanted to obtain the protection of a biological territory and complete the ecotourism development project.
This is a file that has evolved rapidly. Last December, a forester planned to cut down trees in the peat-island forest sector. Citizens mobilized to limit the cuts. Centennial oak trees have been saved. Moreover, there is no longer any question for the government of Quebec to grant new logging permits in the sector undergoing preservation.
“We have reached a consensus, there will be no more logging before 2025. This will allow the Coalition to structure a project and submit it,” says Pierre Dufour, Minister of Forests, Wildlife and Parks.
As for citizens who wonder if they will still be able to practice their sports on the protected territory, the mayor of the municipality, Claude Mayrand, is reassuring. “All those who have hunting territories will keep their territories, same thing for mountain bike trails. The only thing that will prevent it will be new trails or even logging and mining.
