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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00CF_01C805F0.C5B088F0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable FW: [NatureNS] eagles on osprey nestCame across this article which was = published in Times and Transcript (Moncton, NB)=20 Ottawa suspends migratory bird monitoring program Environment Canada officials say program's entire budget has been spent = until next budget Times & Transcript Staff=20 Published Wednesday October 3rd, 2007=20 Appeared on page A8 OTTAWA - A spokeswoman for Environment Canada confirmed yesterday that = bird monitoring programs administered by the Canadian Wildlife Service = will be suspended until next year because the department has already = spent the program's entire budget. In an email, Elizabeth Allen stated yesterday that the program's $4 = million budget had been fully spent and the fall migratory bird = monitoring program has stopped until March 2008. The service has a research office in Sackville and funds a number of = wetland sanctuaries in the province, such as Mary's Point. She said work on developing regulations and bird conservation plans will = continue during that time, but other winter programs, such as bird = banding to track migratory movement, will be halted. "This is not abnormal, as the majority of expenditures occur in the = spring and summer due to the field season nature of the program," she = defended yesterday. Environment Minister John Baird refuted claims that he would deeply = slash the Canadian Wildlife Service's budget last week, saying the = proposed cuts were "dead on arrival" when they came across his desk. However, Baird failed to address the budget problems plaguing the = department and hesitated to say there would be no changes to the = programs. Baird is quick to point to a $17-million budget cut during Liberal = leader Stephane Dion's tenure in the portfolio as the reason behind the = "pressures" his department is currently facing. Last week, the federal government posted a $14 billion dollar surplus "" = one of the largest in Canadian history. Nature NB president Roland Chiasson said yesterday that he's been told = by senior Environment Canada officials that they will have to "wait = until spring" to see if the program will be restored. Chiasson said he's been told that local Canadian Wildlife Service = officials don't have the money to go to meetings or conduct important = field research, such as tracking birds and swabbing them to watch for = disease. He said it's difficult to plan for future field work when the program = appears to be in jeopardy. "We've got the hint that some things might change," he said. "They're = saying they're prioritizing, but something's going to have to be cut. = It's not very clear." Allen said the department is undertaking a review = of its various monitoring activities to ensure they are "efficient and = necessary." "A limited number of monitoring coordination activities have been put on = hold while this review is underway," she said. But Chiasson said the department has to come clean with its intentions = for the program before migratory bird species are in danger. "What's the real story here?" he asked. "Birds are the best barometer of = climate change out there. Each bird tells a story on changes in the = environment and bird monitoring for climate changes and toxic materials = "" that appears to be in jeopardy." Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe MP Brian Murphy said the move points to the = Conservatives' lack of concern for the environment and research being = done to protect wildlife species. "It's a way of keeping people silent politically and that's scary for a = nation that we're so ill regarded on the international stage when it = comes research in general and natural habitats in particular," he said. "Any harm to environmental habitat like Mary's Point is awful." Allen = said a review of migratory bird programs is currently underway to = determine how funding is allocated until the end of March 2008. She would not say when programs may receive more funding, or when they = would be reviewed again ------=_NextPart_000_00CF_01C805F0.C5B088F0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD><TITLE>FW: [NatureNS] eagles on osprey nest</TITLE> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.6000.16525" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Came across this article which was published in = Times and=20 Transcript (Moncton, NB) </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial><STRONG>Ottawa suspends migratory bird = monitoring=20 program<BR>Environment Canada officials say program's entire budget has = been=20 spent until next budget</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Times & Transcript Staff <BR>Published = Wednesday=20 October 3rd, 2007 <BR>Appeared on page A8<BR>OTTAWA - A spokeswoman for=20 Environment Canada confirmed yesterday that bird monitoring programs=20 administered by the Canadian Wildlife Service will be suspended until = next year=20 because the department has already spent the program's entire=20 budget.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV><FONT face=3DArial> <DIV><BR>In an email, Elizabeth Allen stated yesterday that the = program's $4=20 million budget had been fully spent and the fall migratory bird = monitoring=20 program has stopped until March 2008.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The service has a research office in Sackville and funds a number = of=20 wetland sanctuaries in the province, such as Mary's Point.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>She said work on developing regulations and bird conservation plans = will=20 continue during that time, but other winter programs, such as bird = banding to=20 track migratory movement, will be halted.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>"This is not abnormal, as the majority of expenditures occur in the = spring=20 and summer due to the field season nature of the program," she defended=20 yesterday.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Environment Minister John Baird refuted claims that he would deeply = slash=20 the Canadian Wildlife Service's budget last week, saying the proposed = cuts were=20 "dead on arrival" when they came across his desk.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>However, Baird failed to address the budget problems plaguing the=20 department and hesitated to say there would be no changes to the = programs.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Baird is quick to point to a $17-million budget cut during Liberal = leader=20 Stephane Dion's tenure in the portfolio as the reason behind the = "pressures" his=20 department is currently facing.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Last week, the federal government posted a $14 billion dollar = surplus ""=20 one of the largest in Canadian history.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Nature NB president Roland Chiasson said yesterday that he's been = told by=20 senior Environment Canada officials that they will have to "wait until = spring"=20 to see if the program will be restored.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Chiasson said he's been told that local Canadian Wildlife Service = officials=20 don't have the money to go to meetings or conduct important field = research, such=20 as tracking birds and swabbing them to watch for disease.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>He said it's difficult to plan for future field work when the = program=20 appears to be in jeopardy.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>"We've got the hint that some things might change," he said. = "They're=20 saying they're prioritizing, but something's going to have to be cut. = It's not=20 very clear." Allen said the department is undertaking a review of its = various=20 monitoring activities to ensure they are "efficient and = necessary."</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>"A limited number of monitoring coordination activities have been = put on=20 hold while this review is underway," she said.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>But Chiasson said the department has to come clean with its = intentions for=20 the program before migratory bird species are in danger.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>"What's the real story here?" he asked. "Birds are the best = barometer of=20 climate change out there. Each bird tells a story on changes in the = environment=20 and bird monitoring for climate changes and toxic materials "" that = appears to=20 be in jeopardy."</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe MP Brian Murphy said the move points to = the=20 Conservatives' lack of concern for the environment and research being = done to=20 protect wildlife species.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>"It's a way of keeping people silent politically and that's scary = for a=20 nation that we're so ill regarded on the international stage when it = comes=20 research in general and natural habitats in particular," he said.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>"Any harm to environmental habitat like Mary's Point is awful." = Allen said=20 a review of migratory bird programs is currently underway to determine = how=20 funding is allocated until the end of March 2008.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>She would not say when programs may receive more funding, or when = they=20 would be reviewed again</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_00CF_01C805F0.C5B088F0--
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