Three priority issues have been identified. They are supported by joint projects presented in more detail online at

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1 JOINT PROJECTS FOCUSED ON THREE ISSUES Under the St. Lawrence Actin Plan , the gvernments f Canada and Quebec cntinue t wrk tgether by pling their expertise and their resurces t prtect and enhance the St. Lawrence. Three pririty issues have been identified. They are supprted by jint prjects presented in mre detail nline at CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY The St. Lawrence shelters a great diversity f living rganisms. The transfrmatin f ecsystems, the prliferatin f alien invasive species, and the impacts f climate change are the main threats t bidiversity. T cntribute t the cnservatin f bidiversity, the gvernments are pursuing three curses f actin: Identify, prtect, restre and enhance envirnments f eclgical interest Develp shared tls fr identifying envirnments f pririty interest t be cnserved; cnslidate the netwrk f prtected areas; and enhance and restre sensitive habitats. Prevent the intrductin f alien invasive species and cntrl their dispersal Cnsider additinal tls and measures t cntrl the abundance and prevent the dispersal f these species and imprve infrmatin management withut affecting trade n the St. Lawrence. Assess the impact f climate change n ecsystems Develp and use indicatrs t characterize the impact f climate change n St. Lawrence ecsystems and mre accurately assess its impact n wetlands. SUSTAINABLE USE The St. Lawrence is used fr recreatinal, cmmercial, industrial and public purpses. Urban develpment, artificializatin f the shreline, degradatin f aquatic and riparian habitats, bank ersin, majr fluctuatins in water levels as well as climate change have resulted in the lss f many uses. T ensure the sustainable use f the river, the gvernments are pursuing fur curses f actin: Fster the sustainable management f fisheries resurces Cnduct an inventry f existing data n the state f fisheries resurces in the St. Lawrence in rder t make this infrmatin available. Identify and enhance public access sites Cnslidate the inventry f access sites and develp infrmatin and awareness-raising tls n the sustainable use f these sites. Maintain and prmte sustainable navigatin Pursue cperatin amng stakehlders n the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes regarding navigatin; develp infrmatin and awareness-raising tls fr users f the St. Lawrence and the general public; and adpt a mre integrated apprach fr dredging and sediment management activities.

2 Fster the sustainable management f water levels and water inputs Intrduce management tls t cnslidate mechanisms fr sharing data and develp decisin-supprt tls fr sustainable water management. IMPROVEMENTS TO WATER QUALITY Imprved water quality requires the characterizatin f pllutin surces and an understanding f the effects f pllutin n the envirnment. Althugh pint surces f cntaminatin are fairly well characterized, nnpint-surce pllutin and its effects n human health are nt well understd. In rder t better identify and reduce these surces f pllutin, the gvernments are pursuing three curses f actin: Reduce agricultural surces f nnpint-surce pllutin Supprt and crdinate actin aimed at reducing nnpint-surce agricultural pllutin and imprving understanding f the effects f this pllutin n freshwater and marine ecsystems. Imprve management tls fr cntaminated sediment Enhance risk-assessment and management tls assciated with thse areas f the St. Lawrence where cntaminated sediment is fund. Assess the presence and the effects f txic substances n the ecsystem Assess the presence and the effects f cntaminants assciated with municipal effluent discharges; imprve understanding f emerging txic substances; characterize the cntaminatin f Lake Saint-Pierre; and study the effects f txic substances n the fd chain.

3 TWO DECISION-SUPPORT PROGRAMS STATE OF THE ST. LAWRENCE MONITORING PROGRAM (SSLMP) Launched in 2003, the purpse f this prgram is t pl all the data and knwledge gleaned frm the envirnmental mnitring activities f the partner departments and agencies. T this end, 21 indicatrs are analyzed; they are fcused n the main cmpnents f the St. Lawrence: water, sediment, bilgical resurces, uses, and shres. Every five years, the accumulated data are used t prvide a snapsht f changes t the health f the St. Lawrence. The mst recent verview, published in 2008, is available nline at: The SSLMP als prvides fr the St. Lawrence Rendez-vus, an event held every three years t allw experts and players frm the envirnmental mnitring field t get tgether and share infrmatin. NUMERICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FORECASTING FOR THE ST. LAWRENCE Similar t weather frecasting, numerical envirnmental frecasting serves t anticipate certain phenmena r t evaluate their impact based n actual bservatins, theretical applicatins r advanced technlgical tls. Under this new prgram, the expertise and frecasting mdels f the varius participants are pled. The creatin f this virtual numerical labratry will lead t a better understanding f the St. Lawrence ecsystem and facilitate the decisin-making prcess. These numerical envirnmental frecasts will fcus n: Water: currents, temperature, waves, levels, flws, quality and salinity; Ice and snw: cver, thickness, temperature and density; Ecsystem health; Precipitatin; Sil temperature and humidity; Urban cnditins.

4 INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF THE ST. LAWRENCE Adpted by the Quebec gvernment in 2009, the purpse f the Act t affirm the cllective nature f water resurces and prvide fr increased water resurce prtectin is t cnslidate the jint integrated management f water with an eye t the sund gvernance f water resurces thrughut Quebec, including the St. Lawrence. This prcess has led t the implementatin f the integrated management f the St. Lawrence. This apprach is based n cperatin amng all decisin-makers, users, and citizens in the planning and harmnizatin f measures t prtect and use the resurces f this imprtant ecsystem, within the perspective f sustainable develpment. THE INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF THE ST. LAWRENCE PROVIDES FOR: Twelve Reginal Rund Tables (RRTs) With six created by 2016, in the fllwing areas: - Mntréal regin - Lake Saint-Pierre - Québec City Regin - Nrth f the Lwer Estuary - Suth f the Lwer Estuary - Magdalen Islands These RRTs will allw the varius reginal stakehlders invlved in managing the resurces and the use f the St. Lawrence t harmnize their actins thrugh the develpment and implementatin f a reginal integrated management plan. Area f Prime Cncern (ZIP) cmmittees Reprting t the reginal issue tables, the ZIP cmmittees are respnsible fr crdinating the develpment and prductin f reginal integrated management plans that they will als help implement. In sme cases, hwever, ZIP cmmittees may be given ther integrated-management respnsibilities. In areas where reginal issue tables have nt yet been created, the ZIP cmmittees will cntinue their current cperative activities in rder t lay the grundwrk fr the eventual creatin f a reginal issue table. Frum Saint-Laurent This annual event brings tgether stakehlders with respnsibilities r interests related t the management f resurces and uses f the St. Lawrence. The purpse f this frum is t share infrmatin and search fr slutins t the issues affecting the St. Lawrence as a whle.

5 A COMMUNITY FUNDING PROGRAM COMMUNITY INTERACTION PROGRAM (CIP) The Cmmunity Interactin Prgram (CIP) is a funding prgram fr cmmunity prjects aimed at addressing a reginal envirnmental cncern related t the St. Lawrence ecsystem. This funding prgram has been renewed with a cntributin f $4.28 millin fr the perid Since 1993, the $12.4 millin allcated by the CIP has led t the cmpletin f 375 prjects fr a ttal value f $22.6 millin.