Happy New Year to all! Here is a glance back at Ruisseau Jackson – Protected Natural Area (RJANP) activities in 2015.
RJANP is a community initiative for the protection and enhancement of the natural environment around Ruisseau Jackson in the municipalities of Mille-Isles, Saint-Sauveur and Morin-Heights.
Our efforts in 2015 were mostly focused on the administrative set-up of RJANP, following the summary ecological and general characterization conducted in summer 2014. Through this initiative, we developed a conservation plan for the natural habitats in the Ruisseau Jackson watershed and a concrete implementation strategy for those responsible for the initiative. In conjunction with the Lake Echo Association (APLÉ), we also provided a profile of the environmental and organizational management of the Lac Daïnava dam upstream from the area of interest.
Since January 2015, apart from organizing our first annual general meeting (AGM) at Morin-Heights City Hall in October 2015, initiating the registration process for the association with the Registre des entreprises du Québec (REQ), adopting by-laws revised by legal advisors and redesigning our website, RJANP has committed to a series of tangible actions.
2015 activities
- Finalization of a report on erosion and sediment inflow in Ruisseau Jackson between the sector bordered by areas in the immediate vicinity of Chemin Wood and the area surrounding Lac Écho.
- Finalization of a report on ecosystem goods and services provided by Ruisseau Jackson, with a special focus on water quality. This report was presented at a public meeting at Morin-Heights City Hall.
- Water sampling by Abrinord as part of the Programme d’échantillonnage de l’eau du bassin versant de la rivière du Nord [Rivière du Nord watershed water sampling program].
Visibility
There has been talk about RJANP in the community, particularly in the newsletters of such organizations as Abrinord, ÉcoCorridor Laurentien and Rivière Doncaster. An article on RJANP was also published in Accès Laurentides. In January 2016, RJANP will be featured in the Morin-Heights newsletter.
2016 activities
- Organization of a nature walk
- Organization of a workshop on living with beavers
- Preparation of the framework for the first landowner notebook (with a “statement of intent”)
- Implementation of an initial voluntary conservation strategy on a key property
- Follow-up on the main recommendations in the report on sediment inflow in Ruisseau Jackson
- Water sampling (2 stations) by Abrinord as part of the Rivière du Nord watershed water sampling program: stations 31 and 32
- RJANP website update with the addition of sections summarizing: A) Results of the 2015 reports: i) erosion and sediment deposits, and ii) ecosystem goods and services (raising of community awareness of the watershed’s beneficial role in water quality protection); and B) Information on civic participation: i) environmental protection, ii) statement of intent, and iii) conservation options
- 2016 annual general meeting
The RJANP Executive Committee will be meeting soon to complete the 2016 action plan. You know how to reach us if you have any questions or would like to get involved.