Anticosti Island

Located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Québec, Anticosti Island is over 220 km long and has a maximum width of 56 km, for a total surface area of 7943 km². The topography is relatively flat and the mean elevation is only 126 m. The bedrock is formed of limestone from the Silurian and Ordovician eras. Postglacial oceanic sediments cover the lowlands as well as the shoreline, while regolith sediments and a few morainic sediments cover the interior. There are also many organic sediments on the island, mostly in the eastern part where they are predominant.

The sub-boreal maritime climate is characterized by cool summers and relatively mild winters. The mean temperature is about –10 °C in January and 15 °C in July. Snow precipitation is abundant, usually over 300 cm in the western and central parts.

The forest of the island belongs to the Anticosti section of the boreal region and to the balsam fir-white birch domain of Québec's eastern bioclimatic region. The most common stands are those dominated by the white spruce (Picea glauca), balsam fir (Abies balsamea) and black spruce (P. mariana). White birch (Betula papyrifera), quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), balsam poplar (P. balsamifera) and larch (Larix laricina) occur only sporadically. In the eastern part of the island, forests alternate with large peatlands. There are virtually no shrub layer because of white-tailed deer browsing. In the past, the major natural perturbations have been fire, insect outbreaks and windfalls. In the last few years, the area covered by balsam fir stands has greatly diminished due to the combined effect of white-tailed deer browsing and outbreaks of hemlock looper (Lambdina fiscellaria) and spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana).

More recently, windfalls have affected large areas of old balsam fir stands. White spruce, which is part of these stands as a companion species, is usually responsible for the whole regeneration. However, this tree species is also affected by an insect, the spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis).

Along with Minganie, Anticosti is a site rich in rare plants such as species or varieties endemic to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, arctic-alpine plants on the edge of their distribution area, and cordilleran species characteristic of the Rocky Mountains.

When the Europeans arrived in North America, the island fauna included only seven species of mammals: the black bear (Ursus americanus), the river otter (Lutra canadensis), the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), the American marten (Martes americana), the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) and two species of bats (Myotis lucifugus and M. septentrionalis). The main mammals that have been successfully introduced are the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), the moose (Alces alces), the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), the beaver (Castor canadensis) and the muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus). Today, the most abundant species is by far the white-tailed deer. The American marten became extinct in the early 1900s and the black bear has not been seen on the island for years.

The island's avifauna is fairly diversified and similar to what can be found on the mainland. Seabirds are particularly well represented and, remarkably, the island is home to one of the most important populations of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in northeastern North America. The ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) and the spruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) have been brought in and are now well established.

There are no species of native amphibians or reptiles on Anticosti Island. Presently, following a series of introductions, we can find three resident species of frogs: the green frog (Rana clamitans), the mink frog (R. septentrionalis) and the northern leopard frog (R. pipiens).

Anticosti Island remained wild and virtually uninhabited until a wealthy French businessman, Henri Menier, acquired it in 1895. Menier is, without a doubt, the man who had the most influence on the destiny of Anticosti Island. Indeed, his first goal was to make it a hunting and fishing paradise. This is why he tried to bring in several species of game, including the white-tailed deer, the only species to enjoy outstanding growth. Menier brought in about 220 deer in 1896 and 1897. Among the introductions that failed, there was the bison (Bison bison) and the wapiti (Cervus elaphus). As a legacy, this colourful character gave his name to Anticosti Island 's only village, Port-Menier, located in the western part of the island.

In the 20^th century, Anticosti Island belonged to many different timber companies, but mostly to Consolidated Bathurst. In 1974, the island was purchased by the Government of Quebec.

The only village, Port-Menier, is located on the western end of the island. Although its population may double during the summer because of seasonal work, about 250 people live there year round. The main livelihood is provided by tourism and the use of natural resources: deer hunting, timber harvesting, and salmon sport fishing.

Five outfitters hold exclusive hunting and fishing rights on most of Anticosti Island (7263 km²). There is also a conservation park, the Anticosti National Park (572 km²) created in 2001, and two ecological reserves, Pointe-Heath (19 km²) and Grand-Lac-Salé (24 km²).

Anticosti Island is known internationally for the outstanding quality of its deer hunt. This activity has been entrusted to the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (SÉPAQ) and to private outfitters that welcome 3000 to 4000 hunters each year. The total number of deer harvested is now over 9000 head per year. The quality of the facilities and outstanding hunting conditions found on the island contribute to its international reputation as a hunting paradise.

Four periods of intensive logging followed one another on the territory. In the logged areas of 1908-1918 (1 800 000 m³) and those of 1926-1930 (1 300 000 m³), dense white spruce stands replaced the original fir forests (Potvin 1992). However, in the areas logged during the period of 1946-1971 (145 000 m³ to 360 000 m³ per year), regeneration was more irregular and dependant upon local conditions.

It is only with the advent of Produits forestiers Anticosti inc. (PFA) in 1995 that we started seeing silvicultural operations again. In the context of an experimental project aiming to develop silvicultural techniques that would allow the regeneration of fir, which represents the main winter food supply of deer, the company harvested about 100 000 m³ per year in 1995 and 1996. In December 1996, a huge windfall occurred. In the following two years, a recovery program allowed the recovery of 432 700 m³ of wood that was going to waste. In 1999 and 2000, an annual harvest of 150 000 m³ was performed in white and black spruce stands. At the same time, a habitat management technique for the white-tailed deer was developed, and since 2001, it has been implemented in all the cutting areas. The technique consists mainly in creating a mosaic of habitats used for the vegetation cover and food supply inside enclosures for a period of 10 years to reduce local deer density. A recent estimate of the allowable cut on the island allowed raising the harvest rate to 175 000 m³ per year.

The initial five-year forest management agreement (FMA), held by PFA, was renewed in 2005 for a third 5-year-period, with the possibility of a prolongation. Under this agreement, the company is committed to pursuing a scientific research program to establish silvicultural practices that would align forestry practices with the integrated management of forest resources. The company is also responsible for developing a general plan for the management of forest resources in partnership with the Minister of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Parks as well as local representatives. This plan, finalized in 2004, allows the determination of the annual allowable cut, taking into consideration the evolution of the forest as a source of wood products and the habitat of the white-tailed deer, which is present in high density on the island.