Endangered Species
White-nose syndrome attributed to death of over 5 million bats in northeast
Submitted by Guest on Tue, 2012-01-31 15:15by Alys Granados... Read more »
Alberta Government kicks public out of protected area so Spray Lake Sawmills can begin clear-cutting
BEAVER MINES: This afternoon, Alberta Government’s Sustainable Resource Development Department (SRD) issued a notice closing part of the popular, year-round recreation core of the Castle Special Management Area to public use. That includes closing it to a legal camp of a second-generation outfitter and a picket-line by local residents - the presence of which was holding back Spray Lake Sawmills from starting up its equipment to bulldoze new roads and clear-cut the protected area.
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Save the Greater sage-grouse from extinction
This morning, Ecojustice filed a petition to federal Environment Minister Peter Kent, calling on him to help protect the Greater sage-grouse, an endangered bird on the brink of extinction in Canada.
The sage-grouse — known for its spectacular mating dance — once inhabited sage-brush grasslands across the country. Now it’s only found in parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan, where it receives little protection from the provincial governments.
Why? Scientific research indicates that oil, gas and industrial development in and around sage-grouse habitat has played a leading role in their population crash. In order to survive and thrive, the sage-grouse require restrictions on this development in areas where they spend the winter, breed, nest and raise their young.
As few as 13 male birds currently remain in Alberta and at last count, as few as 42 males were left in Saskatchewan. Scientists predict that, in the absence of meaningful protection, sage-grouse will disappear from Alberta as soon as next year and be completely extinct in Canada within a decade.
Ecojustice and an international coalition of environmental groups are calling on Minister Kent to recommend that the federal government issue an emergency protection order for the sage-grouse. This kind of order could prohibit any activity that might further threaten sage-grouse or their habitat, giving their small population a chance to recover.
We’re asking Canadians to help save the sage-grouse from extinction, too. Please take two minutes today to send a letter to the Minister, calling on him to stand up for the species he’s legally bound to protect.
Still unclear on exactly what makes the sage-grouse special? Check out our video, and then send a letter!
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation opposes proposed wolf cull
On July 28, 2011, The Honourable Mr. Justice Crampton of the Federal Court of Canada, ruled in favour of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN), Beaver Lake Cree First Nation and the Enoch Cree Nation when they brought forward a case to protect the Woodland Caribou that are essential for their cultural survival. The court concluded that the Minister of Environment erred in his decision to refuse to recommend an emergency order for boreal caribou in northeastern Alberta and sent the decision back for reconsideration. Justice Crampton pointed out that the Minister must consider constitutionally protected Treaty Rights when making decisions under the Species at Risk Act. .
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Moratorium on motorized access necessary for grizzly survival
CALGARY - Industrial and public motorized access routes in grizzly bear habitat greatly exceed thresholds recommended in the Alberta government’s official Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan. This issue is so critical that several Alberta Conservation organizations are calling for an immediate moratorium on new roads.
“Now that grizzly hunting is on hold, the primary cause of bear deaths is too much contact between bears and people due to motorized access into their habitat,” says Wendy Francis, Program Director for the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y). “Reducing this access will benefit not only grizzlies, but also source water quality and other species at risk,” she adds.
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