--Public opinion requested on Regional Wetlands and Water Bodies Conservation Plan

Deborah Powell

The MRC Pontiac, in coordination with the Outaouais regional council for the environment and sustainable development (CREDDO), is again looking for citizen input to help develop a first Regional Plan for Wetlands and Water Bodies (PRMHH). 

All MRCs are required to develop such a plan by June 2022 in order to fulfill their obligations under the Quebec Wetlands and Water Bodies Conservation Act, passed in 2017. The purpose of the plans is to align land use with wetlands and water bodies conservation, notably to improve community resilience to climate change. The term "wetlands" refers to ponds, marshes, swamps and peat bogs, while water bodies include lakes, rivers and streams.

 

CREDDO has been mandated by the MRCs in the Outaouais to help develop their respective PRMHH. Public input was first sought by survey in March and April of this year to develop a list of elements that the population considers important for the preservation of the regions lakes, rivers and wetlands. On July 13, CREDDO hosted a first public consultation session on-line with the objective of prioritizing issues as well as to collect ideas, questions and concerns. 

Interested citizens who were unable to participate or unaware of the online session are encouraged to complete an online survey that is open until the end of August. The survey asks the public to identify the main issues they think should be prioritized in the development of Regional Wetlands and Water Bodies Plans and suggest actions they would like to see their MRC implement in response to these issues.

To learn more about the PRMHH and fill out the survey, go to http://www.creddo.ca/prmhh-en or http://www.creddo.ca/prmhh for the French version. Useful to look at before completing the survey is the slideshow under Medias/Webinars near the bottom of the page. The survey is accessible from the same page. You can also contact CREDDO and ask for links to the presentation that was given July 13 or Google "YouTube CREDDO PRMHH" to find them online. If internet access is not a possible, contact Madelaine Rouleau at CREDDO, (819) 690-9645.