Pointe de l'Est National Wildlife Area
Description | Management | Public Services
Map of the Area | Summary Table | Contact Information
Pointe de l'Est National Wildlife Area, dunes © Environment Canada
Description
The Pointe de l'Est National Wildlife Area (NWA) covers an expanse of dunes, barrens and lagoons situated at the northeastern tip of the Magdalen Islands archipelago in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Established in 1978 by Environment Canada, its purpose is to protect important habitats serving as staging areas for shorebirds and other migratory birds and breeding grounds for numerous species, including species at risk like the Piping Plover and Horned Grebe.
Located in a maritime environment, the wildlife area features a wide diversity of habitats including red sandstone outcrops, fixed and mobile sand dunes covered in beach grass, lagoons, crowberry barrens, saline prairies, coniferous forests, marshes and immense beaches as well as fresh, brackish and salt water ponds. The area is currently used by more than 150 bird species and 10 or so mammal species.
During nesting periods, the site's open areas provide suitable habitats for American Black Duck, Northern Pintail, Red-Breasted Merganser, Greater Scaup and colonial birds like Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Tern, and Arctic Tern. Forest environments are used by the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Rusty Blackbird, Blackpoll Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, and Tennessee Warbler. Two species at risk breed within the wildlife area: the Piping Plover on sandy shores and the Horned Grebe at the edges of ponds. Numerous shorebird species are observed during the fall migration, including the Black-Bellied Plover, the Sanderling and the Greater Yellowlegs. Some less frequent bird species can be observed occasionally, such as the Stilt Sandpiper, Eared Grebe and Northern Wheatear. Mammals, among them the Red Fox and the Red Squirrel, also frequent this remarkable environment.
The wildlife area is exposed to a number of threats and management challenges, including the impact of all-terrain vehicle use, poaching, and the risk of accidental spills associated with marine transportation.
More information on Pointe de l'Est NWA is provided in the summary table below.
Management
National Wildlife Areas (NWAs) are protected and managed according to the Wildlife Area Regulations under the Canada Wildlife Act. The primary purpose of NWAs is the protection and conservation of wildlife and their habitat. For this purpose, and according to the legislation, Environment Canada can prohibit all activities in a NWA that could interfere with the conservation of wildlife. Consequently, most NWAs are not accessible to the public and all activities are prohibited. Nonetheless, Environment Canada has the ability to authorize some activities, whether through public notice or the issuance of permits, as long as these are consistent with the management plan goals for the NWA. For more information, consult the NWAs Management and Activities section.
Access to the Pointe de l'Est NWA is restricted to designated areas and activities may be permitted in accordance with the conservation objectives of the NWA management plan. Public notices listing the authorized activities within the wildlife area are posted at access points and include: hiking, nature observation, photography on the trails and, in the fall, waterfowl hunting.
Permits may be issued for research activities in keeping with the priorities set out in the management plan for the wildlife area. Permits may also be issued for other conservation activities such as surveys, or the enhancement or restoration of habitat.
Priority will be given to collaborative activities with local agencies and organizations to promote the protection and the conservation of wildlife species and their habitat in the NWA. For example, initiatives could be launched or continued with the following entities: universities or research centers to address gaps in scientific knowledge; the province to implement recovery measures for species at risk (particularly those falling under provincial jurisdiction); or non-governmental organizations or municipal authorities to build public awareness of the wildlife area's objectives.
More information on access and permitting for Pointe de l'Est NWA can be obtained by contacting the Environment Canada regional office.
Notice from Environment Canada
Download PDF version – Notice from Environment Canada [Pointe de l’Est] (PDF; 146 KB)
Environment Canada would like to inform the public that the Pointe de l’Est, National Wildlife Area (NWA)--located in the municipality of Grosse-Île in the Gaspésie−Îles-de-la-Madeleine administrative region--is a protected area. Since its creation in 1978, the NWA has been protecting wildlife and habitats, particularly those of migratory birds and species at risk.
To protect the area, the Department is informing NWA visitors of their obligation to follow certain rules, as dictated by the Canada Wildlife Act and its corresponding regulations. Anyone who neglects to follow these rules or obey the laws in effect may be subject to fines and prosecution.
Hiking, nature viewing, photography, vehicle parking at official sites and use of the marked ATV trail are authorized in designated areas.
Without a permit issued by the Minister, it is strictly prohibited for anyone in the NWA to:
- move about (on foot, on any motor vehicle, on horse, etc.) except in designated areas;
- hunt, unless you are hunting migratory birds, in which case you must be in compliance with the authorized periods, conditions, locations and hunting instruments (see section 3.(1) of the Wildlife Area Regulations);
- fish;
- destroy or remove a plant;
- allow any domestic animal to run at large;
- swim, picnic, camp or carry on any other recreational activity or light a fire;
- operate any mode of transportation;
- dump or deposit any trash.
For complete information on applicable regulations, please consult the Canada Wildlife Act, Wildlife Area Regulations, 1994 Migratory Birds Convention Act, and Species at Risk Act at www.ec.gc.ca.
To file a complaint or report illegal activities, please contact Environment Canada by phone at 1-800-668-6767 or by email at enviro@info.ec.gc.ca.
This notice shall not be construed so as to abrogate or derogate from any Aboriginal, treaty or other rights of Aboriginal peoples.
Public Services
Activities and services at the Pointe de l'Est NWA are currently offered by the La Salicorne organization. Services offered to the public include guided hiking tours and outreach activities to build awareness of wildlife species habitat conservation. Please contact La Salicorne for additional information on the activities and services available.
Activities and Services
- Facilitated activities
- Guided tours
- Interpretive signage
- 8 km of hiking trails
Special warnings
Access to islands prohibited without permit.
Location of wildlife area (access)
Route 199 east of Grosse-Île.
Contact information for La Salicorne
La Salicorne
377, Route 199
Grande-Entrée, Québec
G4T 7A5
Phone number: (418) 985-2833
More information on services offered to public can be obtained by contacting the Environment Canada regional office.
Map of Pointe de l'Est National Wildlife Area
Summary Table for the Pointe de l'Est NWA
| Protected Area designation | National Wildlife Area |
| Province/territory | Québec |
| Latitude/longitude | 47°38’N 61°27’O |
| Size in hectares (ha) | 748 ha |
| Reason for Creation of protected area | Protection of critical habitats serving as staging areas for shorebirds and other migratory birds and breeding grounds for species including Piping Plover and Horned Grebe. |
| Date created (Gazetted) | 1978 – Legal description |
| International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Management Category | III - Natural Monument or Feature : protected area set aside to protect a specific natural monument.
|
| Additional designations |
|
| Keystone or flagship species | Piping Plover, Horned Grebe |
| Listed Species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) | The Piping Plover (only remaining nesting site of this species in Quebec), Horned Grebe, and Roseate Tern. |
| Main habitat type | Dunes, marshes, ponds, beaches, barrens and stunted forests |
| Faunistic and floristic importance | Strategic staging area for migratory birds (particularly shorebirds). Important breeding ground for many bird species, including species at risk like the Horned Grebe and the Piping Plover. |
| Invasive species | There is little documentation on invasive alien species. The micro-lepidopteran (moth) Paraswammerdamia conspersella could be attracted to the crowberry barrens. |
| Additional links | Birds: American Black Duck, Northern Pintail, Herring Gull, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Black-Bellied Plover, Sanderling, Greater Yellowlegs, and Northern Wheatear. Mammals: Red Fox, and Red Squirrel. |
| Main threats and challenges | Impact of all-terrain vehicle use, poaching, and risk of accidental spills associated with marine transportation. |
| Management Agency | Environment Canada (Canadian Wildlife Service) |
| Public access and usage | Access restricted to designated areas. Activities permitted: hiking on the trails (8 km), waterfowl hunting (in fall). |
Note: If there is a discrepancy between the information presented on this web page and any notice posted at the NWA site, the notice prevails as it is the legal instrument authorizing the activity.
Environment Canada – Quebec Region
Canadian Wildlife Service
Ecosystem Conservation
801-1550, avenue d’Estimauville
Québec, Québec
G1J 0C3
Toll Free: 1-800-668-6767 (in Canada only)
Email: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca
- Date Modified: