Quebec wants to protect more wetlands

The Hérons marsh, a wetland located in the Technoparc Montréal, is unusually dry./Josie Desmarais/Métro

Québec is relaxing the criteria of its Program for the Restoration and Creation of Wetlands and Bodies of Water, in addition to increasing the funds available. The amount ceilings for the creation of projects therefore increase from $25,000 to $75,000, for the realization of projects, the amount increases from one million dollars per project to three million.

“This improved version of the program improves and encourages the restoration and creation of wetlands, which will be beneficial for everyone,” explains Environment Minister Benoit Charette.

In total, an amount of $113M is available in the program via the State Environment and Water Domain Protection Fund. Calls for tenders will continue until March 31, 2025 and can be submitted continuously, rather than at specific periods as was the case until now.

Since the first calls for projects in 2020, $807,767 was granted for the creation of projects and $2,466,344 for their execution. The protection program is one of the obligations set out in the Law affirming the collective nature of water resources and promoting better governance of water and associated environments, dating from 2017.

Wetlands are important for the state of water, soil and biodiversity.