Subject: Fwd: bird conservation
Date: Apr 20 09:59:04 2004
From: Dennis Paulson - dpaulson at ups.edu


>The following article came from a court case in Canada. Makes an
>interesting, and at least initially supported claim, that could
>certainly impact wholesale logging.
>
>TORONTO - The North American Commission for Environmental
>Cooperation (CEC) announced today that it will launch a full
>investigation into the allegation that the Government of Canada is
>failing to enforce the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act
>(MBCA), leading to the destruction of tens of thousands of migratory
>bird nests in Ontario's forests each year. The order comes two years
>after Sierra Legal Defence Fund first brought evidence of such a
>failure to the attention of the CEC on behalf of eight prominent
>North American environmental groups.
>
>
>"We are very pleased with the CEC decision to proceed with this
>investigation," said Sierra Legal managing lawyer Jerry DeMarco. "We
>hope that this investigation will help protect migratory birds in
>Ontario and throughout Canada from the adverse effects of clearcut
>logging in the bird nesting season."
>
>
>In February 2002, Sierra Legal submitted a complaint to the CEC on
>behalf of the Canadian Nature Federation, Canadian Parks and
>Wilderness Society, Earthroots, Ontario Nature - Federation of
>Ontario Naturalists, Great Lakes United, Sierra Club of Canada,
>Sierra Club (US), and Wildlands League, alleging that massive
>numbers of bird nests were being destroyed each year during
>clear-cutting operations by logging companies.
>
>
>The CEC Secretariat then recommended to the CEC Council, comprised
>of Canada's David Anderson and the environment ministers of the U.S.
>and Mexico, that the complaint be investigated. In April 2003, the
>Council deferred its decision saying more information was needed,
>contrary to the advice of its Secretariat experts. The groups
>resubmitted their petition with additional information and in
>December 2003 the Secretariat repeated its earlier recommendation
>for a full investigation.
>
>
>"By ordering an investigation the environment ministers have saved
>two birds with one stroke of the pen," said Sierra Legal lawyer
>Albert Koehl. "First, they have agreed to investigate the alleged
>widespread failure to enforce this important wildlife protection
>law. Second, they have taken a step towards restoring the CEC's
>credibility, which has been seriously undermined by recent decisions
>of the ministers to limit investigations to isolated examples
>despite evidence of widespread non-enforcement.."
>
>
>The CEC was created through a side agreement to NAFTA and acts as a
>watchdog to ensure that each of the member countries enforces its
>environmental laws.
>
>The MBCA is the result of one of Canada's oldest international
>environmental treaties.

--
Dennis Paulson, Director phone 253-879-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 253-879-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
1500 N. Warner, #1088
Tacoma, WA 98416-1088
http://www.ups.edu/biology/museum/museum.html