JOINT PROJECTS FOCUSED ON THREE ISSUES Under the St. Lawrence Actin Plan 2011 2026, 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 www.planstlaurent.qc.ca/. 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.
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.
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: www.planstlaurent.qc.ca/sl_bs/sesl/publicatins/prtrait/2008/prtrait_glbal_2008_e.pdf 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.
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.
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 2011 2016. 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.