Plan St-Laurent - Pour un développement durable

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  • In brief – 2008

Protection plan for Anse Saint-Étienne

The sheer cliffs of the Saguenay fjord are quite spectacular, but they provide little space for the kind of wide flats found along the St. Lawrence.  Anse Saint-Étienne, in the municipality of Petit-Saguenay, approximately 20 kilometres from the confluence with the St. Lawrence River, is home to one of the few significant wetlands found along the shores of the Saguenay: a large salt marsh dominated by saltwater cordgrass, in proximity to a variety of other habitats. 

Photo : Ghyslain Sylvain

This rich environment is still relatively undisturbed.  However, unlike other salt marshes in the area, it does not enjoy any form of protected status.  At the same time, a wide range of recreational activities is quickly developing in the area, leading to concerns about increased pressure on the ecosystem, with the ensuing risks for plants and wildlife.

Photo: Parks Canada

This situation prompted the Saguenay ZIP Committee to draw up a protection and sustainable development plan for Anse Saint-Étienne.  The goal is not to hinder recreational tourism development in the area, but to encourage local stakeholders to collaborate with the goal of ensuring that this development takes place in keeping with a sustainable development perspective, by providing oversight and guidance and selecting activities compatible with ecosystem protection.  The intention is also to raise public awareness about the importance of this ecological heritage.

In the summer of 2007, a consultation and collaboration initiative was put into action, which enabled this project to be completed in about 20 weeks.  The project’s main features included updating knowledge about the habitats of Anse Saint-Étienne (knowledge that will be particularly useful to managers in making decisions concerning land use), identifying public concerns, developing a series of recommendations and suggesting a list of projects that can be implemented by various organizations. 

The plan’s priority recommendations include installing interpretative signage, organizing an educational activity every two years for primary school students, expanding public access to the shoreline and installing a boat launching site, as well as stabilizing the river banks.  The ZIP Committee plans to closely monitor the situation, in order to help groups find funding and partners for the projects, and assist in other ways.

Financial assistance for the implementation of this initiative by the ZIP Committee was provided by the Community Interaction Program of the St. Lawrence Plan for Sustainable Development.

For more information:

Ghislain Sylvain
Saguenay ZIP Committee
Tel.: 418‑544‑5813
E-mail: gsylvain@royaume.com.