Quebec Land Around Lac Tamaracouta to Be Protected Under New Agreement

A private landowner, the Nature Conservancy of Canada and multiple levels of government have reached an agreement to protect 300 hectares of land around Lac Tamaracouta in Mille-Isles, Quebec. The property will be preserved in perpetuity and will combine conservation with public recreational use.

The municipality of Mille-Isles and its residents are the primary beneficiaries, according to Mayor Howard Sauvé. He said the site will be open to the public, likely at no charge, and that trail construction will begin this spring or summer with completion expected by next spring.

The land was formerly part of the Tamaracouta Scout Reserve, which operated for more than a century before closing in 2018. Residents expressed concern at the time that the property could be sold for development amid regional growth pressures. Lyne Lanthier, president of the Tamaracouta Lake Association, said partners worked together to secure the conservation outcome.

Francis Léger, a Mille-Isles councillor and 30-year resident, said the result was unexpected and welcomed.

Lefebvre, project manager for the Nature Conservancy of Canada, said the protected area forms one of several core zones in a larger Laurentians conservation network. The group will work with the municipality to maintain wildlife corridors for species including moose, lynx and wolves.

Lefebvre noted that climate-driven species movement northward increases the importance of connected habitat. Partners will develop a management plan and expand the trail network in the coming months. Local Liberal MP Tim Watchorn, who represents the federal riding of Pays-d'en-Haut and attended the camp as a youth, said the federal government will continue supporting similar projects under its new Nature Strategy.