QLMA and WWF-Canada Working Together on Protected Areas Issue

Although this process is a government responsibility, the two organizations wished to make a joint contribution given the social, environmental and economic issues involved in the setting up of such a network. It was with this in mind that the QLMA and WWF developed a method for evaluating the conservation potential of Quebec’s public lands south of the 52nd parallel. The results of their work have led to the identification, for each natural region, of those territories that have the highest conservation potential. Subsequently, offsetting measures aimed at facilitating the maintenance of socio-economic activities related to wood industry, have been identified and analysed in a test case.

The two organizations hope that these tools will be of use to the government agencies responsible for completing the protected area network and that they will prove to be a promising template for the future. Indeed, the map of the conservation potential for the entire study area, and the one indicating the highest potential by natural region, could, together with the list of offsetting measures, guide the process of selecting candidate sites for protection.

This unusual partnership between the QLMA and WWF stems from their common interest regarding the maintenance of biodiversity. For WWF, this concern lies at the heart of the work it has accomplished over the years, as shown for example in its Endangered Spaces campaign. As for the QLMA, it is a daily issue for the industry given the context where forestry practices have to conform to the principles of sustainable forest management, principles that include the question of protected areas.

The partners:
WWF-Canada is part of the international WWF network, which counts almost 5 million members worldwide. Its conservation work targets the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of renewable resources and the reduction of pollution. The QLMA is mandated to promote the interests of its 175 members, whose mills produce 90% of Quebec lumber. As part of this mandate, the QLMA has the task of ensuring the sustainability of forestry resources and of the communities that depend on them.