Presentation on integrated management of the St. Lawrence

By Charles Larochelle

In addition to Philippe Morel's overview of the St. Lawrence Action Plan 2011–2026, Charles Larochelle, Co-chair of the SLAP and Assistant Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Air and Water with the Quebec Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs, outlined the principles and implementation of the integrated management of the St. Lawrence (IMSL).

In June 2009 the Government of Quebec adopted the Act to Affirm the Collective Nature of Water Resources and Provide for Increased Water Resource Protection. This legislation affirms the legal status of water as a collective resource, recognizes the St. Lawrence as a site of outstanding significance and attests to Quebec's interest in implementing integrated management of the River.

The IMSL is a permanent process based on concertation among all decision-makers and users of civil society in order to plan and better align actions for the protection and use of the resources inherent in this important ecosystem with a view to ensuring sustainable development. All these components make up the IMSL, which is taking shape through the gradual implementation of 12 regional round tables (RRTs) and through the launch of the annual Forum on the St. Lawrence, a place for concertation on the challenges encountered throughout the River. The first Forum, described in these proceedings, kicked off this concertation process.

The objectives of the RRTs are to foster concertation between the regional stakeholders involved in St. Lawrence issues in each target area and to contribute to the development, adoption and monitoring of the implementation of a Regional Integrated Management Plan (RIMP) that is representative of the community's concerns and desire to take action. Guided by the RRTs, the ZIP (priority intervention zone) committees are responsible for coordinating the development and production of a RIMP, which they will also help implement. In certain cases, however, the ZIP committees may have other integrated management responsibilities assigned to them.

The RRTs will therefore be a way for various regional stakeholders concerned with managing the resources and uses of the St. Lawrence to align their actions. These tables will comprise representatives of civil society, users, regional managers or elected officials, members of Aboriginal communities as well as regional representatives from the Quebec and federal governments.

The coordination mandate of these RRTs will be assigned by the Quebec Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs (MDDEP) to a community organization that is already present and active in the area and that is deemed most qualified to fulfill it. The MDDEP will first meet with the regional county municipalities (RCMs) of the integrated management zones to determine whether they want to take over the table's mandate, with the approval of all the other RCMs in the area. If not, the MDDEP will seek the RCMs' help in appointing the RRT coordinating body.

Efforts are underway with the Québec Metropolitan Community (QMC) and the Montréal Metropolitan Community (MMC), which have agreed to coordinate the RRT in their respective regions. At the same time, steps are being taken with the RCMs of Lac Saint-Pierre, the Magdalen Islands and the southern region of the Upper Estuary to gauge interest in coordinating the tables for these areas or mobilizing them to designate the coordinating body, as the case may be. For the southern and northern ends of the Lower Estuary, efforts will begin in fall 2012. This first phase should lead to the establishment of seven RRTs by 2016.

The Forum on the St. Lawrence, organized by the MDDEP, Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, is a place for concertation between all players concerned with the resources and uses of the St. Lawrence. This is where ideas and solutions are shared and where advice may be given to the various players or be conveyed, as applicable, to the Steering Committee of the Canada–Quebec Agreement on the St. Lawrence 2011–2026 for appropriate action or follow-up. The Forum on the St. Lawrence is an annual meeting of stakeholders invited by the Agreement Steering Committee. These stakeholders are selected based on their expertise and involvement in the given subject matter of the Forum, ensuring that the various groups of players concerned are represented.

The March 2012 Forum introduced the IMSL concept and the players involved. Future forum topics will be determined according to the concerns and issues affecting the players.

Full player engagement relies on their involvement in the RRTs and concertation between the representatives of the various communities concerned.