Species at Risk-ACTION NEEDED!

Date: Sun, 31 Mar 2002 12:33:53 -0400
To: "Tony" <marionc@isn.net>
From: "Wildcanada.net" <Wildcanada@Wildcanada.net> (by way of Copleston/Reddin <marionc@isn.net>)
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Return-Path: <sust-mar-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

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Call your MP now to make a difference for endangered plants and animals
Wildcanada.net Action Alert -- 058 (B)
Thursday March 28, 2002

Members of Parliament are in their constituency offices for a two-week
break over Easter. Debate on Bill C-5, the Species at Risk Act (SARA), will
resume when they return to the House of Commons on April 8th, 2002. In the
last two weeks, unrest has been growing among backbench Liberal Members of
Parliament disgruntled by the lack of respect shown the Parliamentary
Committee process by their own government. In addition, opposition parties
have won a key motion on the floor of the House, ensuring several key
Environment Committee amendments will remain in Bill C-5. Despite this, the
Prime Minister is pushing ahead with plans to gut SARA, removing virtually
all of the progress made by the all-party Environment Committee in their
historic compromise. A phone call to your MP's constituency office while
they are in the riding this week, or during the first week of April, will
make an enormous difference for the protection of Canada's endangered
plants and animals.

Background

The Species at Risk Act (SARA) was reintroduced to the House of Commons on
February 18. The Bill, as amended by the Environment Committee, had broad
stakeholder support. The Committee's version of the bill, while not as
strong as many Canadians would have liked, was a significant improvement on
the original bill, and reached an historic compromise on the issues of
habitat protection and science-based listing.

The government has introduced counter amendments at Report Stage, where the
Bill is brought back to the House after the Committee has made its review.
The amendments would gut the key improvements made by the Environment
Committee. If passed with the government's amendments, the Liberals' Bill
will be weak and ineffective at protecting endangered species like the
grizzly bear, monarch butterfly, killer whale, and more than 380 others. 

Take Action 

Even a single phone call from a constituent over the next week will make an
enormous difference, and could convince your MP to break ranks and vote
against weakening SARA. It is up to you to make this call. As a growing
network, Wildcanada.net has a strong national voice, but it is up to you to
exercise your voice at the local, grassroots level. Information on your
Member of Parliament's constituency phone number is at the bottom of this
email. 

Consider asking that your MP not support the government's Species at Risk
Act unless: 

* it makes habitat protection in areas of federal jurisdiction (migratory
birds, waterways) mandatory; and 

* scientists, not politicians be allowed to determine the list of
endangered species. 


For more information on the Species at Risk Act, visit
http://www.wildcanada.net. If you phone your Member of Parliament, please
email wild@wildcanada.net and let us know your riding. Please forward his
message to your friends. 
-------------------------------------------------
To get information on your or other Canadian MPs

Go to http://www.canada.gc.ca/directories/direct_e.html

Once onto the site, double click on  the line you want. i.e., if  you know 
the name of your MP or if you do not . When the MP names come up, double 
click on the name you want.  A picture of the MP and all contact info will 
come up on the individual MP, i.e.  e mail , fax, regular mail addresses"

"Ignore the environment- it will go away."



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