Rationalization of Off-Road Vehicles (ORV) Access and Restoration of Dune Environments on Magdalen Islands (2015)

The organization Attention Fragîles worked in partnership with the Club VTT (ATV Club) des Îles-de-la-Madeleine to rationalize beach access in sectors with no previous official beach access rules and with mostly unregulated off-road vehicle traffic without guidelines, which caused a multitude of secondary trails and led to breaches in the coastal dunes. In the beach areas of the Pointe-aux-Loups, the Dune du Sud, the Cormorandière, and the Corfu (Dune de l’Ouest), ATV trails providing access to the beaches were first made official, then approved by the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment, and Fight Against Climate Change after an official request by the Club VTT.

The Club identified specific access points in collaboration with the Municipality of the Islands and local environmental organizations. Access points to unofficial trails were then blocked by fences when they were in the back of the dune or with sand traps where they crossed the shoreline. Signage and information panels were installed in strategic locations to keep the trail users better informed and aware.