Beloeil, QC – Nature-Action Québec (NAQ) is proud to announce the protection of natural environments in the Fonrouge woodland in Longueuil through the acquisition of an additional 1,140 square meters. When combined with the 17 properties protected by NAQ, this land brings the total surface area of protected woodland to 2.27 hectares. The acquisition was made under the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) Partnership for Natural Environments project, under which the NCC received financial assistance of over $53 million from the Quebec government. Since 2020, NAQ has stepped up its efforts to strengthen the protection of this area through donations and acquisitions.
The newly protected property preserves a portion of the critical habitat of the western chorus frog, a species designated as vulnerable in Quebec and threatened in Canada. The Fonrouge woodland serves as a significant breeding ground for this at-risk species. The property is made up of wetlands (treed swamps and marshes) and forest sites that also provide a habitat for many other species. With a total area of approximately 47 hectares, the Fonrouge woodland is one of the last natural environments in the borough of Vieux-Longueuil and creates a green corridor with the Roberval and Du Tremblay woodlands.
“I thank Nature-Action Québec for its efforts and commitment to the conservation of healthy and resilient ecosystems. The protection of natural environments is essential to the survival and recovery of the Western Chorus Frog. Together, we continue to make progress in halting the decline of this endangered species while contributing to our goal of conserving one quarter of Canada’s land and oceans by 2025 and 30 percent by 2030.” – The Honorable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
“The efficient cooperation between NAQ and the Ville de Longueuil led to the protection of this natural environment. Among other things, these efforts will enhance the long-term resilience of western chorus frog metapopulations in Montérégie. The COP15 Conference that was held in Montreal last december reminded us all of the importance of protecting biodiversity. It goes without saying that this acquisition is part of an urgent agenda of protected area consolidation.”– Romy Bazo, Director of Conservation, Nature-Action Quebec
