I will take over.
There are some tools available for land-use planning. I should perhaps explain what we mean by “urban conservation”. To us, that term includes all the interventions, programs and regulations used to limit human impact on green spaces. The order of impact varies from full protection of wetlands, to their enhancement and restoration. So the scope of participation is fairly broad.
In order to support municipalities and other municipal stakeholders—including the Quebec department of natural resources' regional commissions on national resources and land—the Conseil régional de l'environnement du Centre-du-Québec developed a decision-making tool. That tool prioritizes natural areas across the region. It helps municipalities better plan and integrate development schemes with regard to regional county municipalities. This decision-making tool makes it possible to act early in development processes.
The project's goal is to support municipalities in taking into account natural areas early in processes, as I mentioned. It is really about constructively shedding light on the difficult trade-off between conservation and development. The tool has already been taken up by several RCMs and municipalities, including Drummondville, which integrated it into their practices to really shed some light on development.
In addition, the ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement, de la Faune et des Parcs used this tool to analyze certificates of approval under the Environment Quality Act, especially when it comes to section 22, which concerns wetlands.
In closing, we would like to share our recommendations.
First, in order to help integrate decision-making tools and enable the implementation of conservation plans, the Conseil régional de l'environnement recommends integrating into the EcoAction Community Funding Program a financial support component for organizations that wish to support municipalities in developing a conservation plan. Funding for planning is currently not part of this program.
Second, it must be ensured that the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk will be renewed and will help collect knowledge in sites with historical records of species at risk. It should also include species in decline and those likely to be designated as threatened. There should also be a budget amount set aside for developing protection measures.
Third, the Government of Canada's Ecological Gifts Program should include no-subdivision and forest conservation easements, which would recognize things like forest management practices that do not go against the International Union for Conservation of Nature's definition of a “protected area”.
The fourth recommendation is to take into account the strategic framework for action of the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy.
Mr. Husk will tell you about the fifth recommendation.