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“This we
know; the earth does not belong to man; it is man that belongs
to earth... All things are related, like blood flows through
the veins of the members of the same family …Whatever we do to
the earth we do to ourselves…”
Native Chief Seattle
XIX Century |
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In 2004, the Land Trust has
more than 100 members.
The signing of
seven easement agreements has added 204 ha of protected land to the 59 ha bought by the Land Trust in 1993.
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Located in Frelighsburg, Eastern Townships, Mount Pinnacle is one
of the last remaining unspoiled and undeveloped massifs close to
Montreal. Frelighsburg, with its rushing river, surrounding
hill-sides covered with apple orchards, Victorian houses, and of
course the Pinnacle rising in the background, is an area full of
attractions that is ranked as one of
The Most Beautiful Villages of
Quebec.
Two Visions of Development |
In 1985, the Municipalité Régionale de Comté (Regional County
Municipality) of Brome-Missisquoi undertook the design of a
development plan for its territory. In Frelighsburg, public opinion
quickly became polarized into two groups: those who favoured
developing the Pinnacle mountain into a touristic and recreational
centre, and those who favoured nature conservation. The development
plan adopted in 1987 and subsequently updated in 1990, preferred the
touristic and recreational vocation, and as a result the Commission
de protection du territoire agricole declared a “white zoning” of
800 hectares (1977 acres) on the mountain to permit a promoter to develop a ski,
golf and condominium resort.
Two associations formed with the goal of preserving the mountain:
the Frelighsburg Taxpayers' Association and the Association
for the Conservation of Mount Pinnacle. At the same time, support for
the developer’s project was also organized and the regional and
national media reported on the conflict. |
A Positive Action
Recognizing the impasse into which the debate would probably lead, a
group of citizens proposed a concrete and positive action: the
creation of a non-profit organization which could, on behalf of the
community, acquire portions of the mountain with a goal of
conservation. And so the Mount Pinnacle Land Trust was born. It was
incorporated in February 1991, with the following objectives:
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To maintain in
perpetuity the territories in the region of the Pinnacle and
elsewhere, with a view to restoring and preserving the natural
resources as well as retaining its wild character. |
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The prudent management
of the natural milieu with a view to preserving the rural
character of the region, thus allowing light-impact public
enjoyment, as well as assuring the continuity of its
agricultural and forestry activities. |
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The promotion of
educational and scientific activities with a view to
sensitizing the public to the value of prudent management of the
natural milieu and encouraging the conservation of the many
species of flora and fauna, the preservation of any natural
sites and the respect of the environment. |
A fund-raising
campaign was launched under the Honorary Presidency of filmmaker
Frédéric Back and, thanks to the donations of over 100 persons,
collected tens of thousands of dollars. The Land Trust was then
able to purchase, in 1993, a property of 59 hectares (146 acres) rising from
an elevation of 300 meters at roadside to about 600 meters, in
the heart of the “white zoned” land.
Later, with the help of grants from local organizations and
generous donors, the Land Trust developed walking trails along
which were installed interpretation panels describing typical
local flora and fauna. You can find more information on the
trails as well as a
trail map in the
Interpretation Trails
section. |
Evolution of the Conflict
The ski and golf resort project never got off the ground. In
February 1993, a modification of the municipal bylaws which would
have favoured the development project was submitted to the
population in a referendum and was rejected. In 1994, the municipal
council adopted a new zoning plan which brought more control over
development and a new bylaw which limited construction in the “white
zoned” area. The developer, contesting the bylaw, initiated legal
action against the municipality and the members of the council. The
dispute was finally settled when the Supreme Court of Canada
rejected the appeal by the plaintiff (Oct.2004). Meanwhile, the
promoter had sold the land he owned and the major part of the summit
was bought by Propriétés Terra Incognita Inc. for conservation
purposes.
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Conservation Activities |
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The creation of the Land Trust and the acquisition of a property
on the mountain helped to sensitize the local population to the
necessity of protecting the natural sites for future generations.
The Land Trust is legally recognized as a potential recipient of
ecological gifts of land for conservation from landowners
who in turn can take advantage of certain income tax benefits
provided for in Environment Canada’s
Ecological Gifts Program.
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As an alternative to an outright donation, landowners can also
grant a conservation easement (servitude) to a land
trust, which may also have income tax benefits for the donor.
With this alternative, the land trust or another conservation
organization can preserve ecologically-sensitive land while, at
the same time, landowners continue to enjoy the use of their
property. The Mount Pinacle Land Trust has recently signed with
a number of landowners conservation easement agreements on areas
totalling 204 hectares (505 acres) (see the
Testimonials). The Land
Trust currently (2010) has under its protection approximately
263 hectares (651 acres) of land on the
periphery of The Pinnacle.
Quebec’s
Loi sur la conservation du patrimoine
naturel allows
landowners who want to preserve land having significant
ecological value to obtain a certified status of «private nature
reserve». And according to the
Loi sur la fiscalité municipale
a partial exemption of municipal and school taxes is granted to
a landowner who has obtained the certification of a «nature
reserve» for his property or part of it.As a government-recognized
conservation organization, the Land Trust is able to act as a
partner of a landowner wishing to take advantage of this law by
establishing jointly a conservation agreement. |
Appalachian Corridor
The Mount Pinaccle Land Trust is affiliated to a regional planning
and coordinating conservation organization, the
Appalachian Corridor Appalachien
(ACA), for a large section of the Appalachian
Mountains which include Mt. Sutton, Mt. Pinnacle and stretches to
Mt. Orford. Many other conservation organizations are affiliated,
like the
Ruiter Valley Land Trust and
the Parc
d’environnement naturel de Sutton (PENS). ACA is also
associated with conservation organizations in Vermont’s Green
Mountains region, from the Canadian border all the way to Mt.
Mansfield and Camel’s Hump.
This ambitious project was founded by the Ruiter Valley Land Trust,
which owns land property and manages easements in some parts of the
Sutton Mountains. The ACA is now an independent organization which
has partnered with other conservation organizations of the region,
such as the Alderbrooke Marsh Land Trust and the
Parc
d’environnement naturel de Sutton (PENS).
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