A green corridor to protect Nicolet's natural environments
In July 2021, the City of Nicolet called on Habitat's services to identify the optimal route for the creation of a green corridor within its territory, thus contributing to the conservation of the biodiversity of the natural environments present there and their connectivity.
3 steps to support the Ville de Nicolet in this planning process
1 - Creating a portrait of the City of Nicolet
"Having an accurate picture of the ecological value of our natural environments is essential to enable us to better understand the environmental impact of the activities that take place on the territory and to make better decisions. It's also a means of identifying the main problems and priority issues we need to work on as a city, as well as a tool for raising awareness and communicating. "
2 - Assessing the ecological connectivity of the region
Ecological connectivity refers to the ability of species to move within their range.
Our study determined that there is a priority travel corridor along the Chemin Saint-Michel sector, linking the municipality's large forest tracts to the large riparian habitats along Lac Saint-Pierre.
3 - Drawing up an action plan to create an ecological corridor
At the end of the analyses, we provided the City of Nicolet with a turnkey action plan for deciding on the optimum route for an ecological corridor. Each of our recommendations suggests a location for intervention, an action to be taken and the expected benefits. This project has also provided the population of Nicolet with an information tool, making it easier for them to understand the development actions taking place on their territory.
" We now have a turnkey action plan to better prioritize conservation and actions aimed at preserving biodiversity on our territory. Our new Ecological Transition and Social Innovation Office is now equipped to act with tenfold impact."
A set of 10 recommendations was put forward to improve the connectivity of the territory for the benefit of biodiversity and ensure the resilience of natural environments. These recommendations identify the critical interventions to be carried out in order to maintain the condition, integrity and functioning of the natural environments, and to strengthen the surrounding areas that could contribute to the proposed ecological corridor.
#Reforestation to restore connectivity
#Protect wetlands
#Widen riparian buffer strip
What next?
" The exercise led to the implementation of a vast program of municipal support for voluntary conservation on the grounds of an ecological connectivity corridor deemed important following Habitat's analysis. We are fortunate to have this ecological corridor right in the heart of our city.
We therefore commissioned a local conservation organisation, Nature-Avenir, to sound out the interest of some twenty landowners in voluntarily putting their wetland and woodland properties under conservation.
The recommendations resulting from Habitat's analysis will undoubtedly guide the development of our territory in the coming years. We are aware that Nicolet is a crossroads for biodiversity, and we want to increase the resilience of our woodlands to climate change. The municipal council intends to take the necessary steps to achieve this .
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