OTTAWA, April 10, 2008
- Canada's Environment Minister, John Baird,
marked National Wildlife Week 2008 by inviting
Canadians to learn more about how they can
get involved in protecting the wildlife
around them.
"National Wildlife
Week is a chance for us to reflect on how
we can all do our part to protect Canada's
wildlife", said Minister Baird. "I'm
proud of the important action this Government
has taken to protect our species and their
habitat. Together with local communities
and with environmental groups, we're working
hard to ensure that we can enjoy our wildlife
for generations to come."
The Government is committed
to protecting wildlife species and their
habitats, and has taken action by:
protecting important
species habitat through the Natural Areas
Conservation Program, a $225 million initiative
with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to
protect a half a million acres of ecologically
sensitive land across southern Canada;
committing $110 million
over two years for better implementation
of the Species at Risk Act;
developing recovery
strategies for species at risk such as the
Whooping Crane that once approached the
brink of extinction in the 1940s, and;
supporting on-the-ground
action by investing $18M to support over
350 local projects for the protection of
species at risk and their habitat through
the Habitat Stewardship Program.
"There are a lot of exciting ways for
all Canadians to learn more about our wildlife,
like the Hinterland Who's Who videos",
said Minister Baird. We're very proud of
our partnership with the Canadian Wildlife
Federation on these projects."
Proclaimed through an
act of Parliament in 1947, National Wildlife
Week is a program of the Canadian Wildlife
Federation and is sponsored in partnership
with the federal government, the provincial
and territorial governments, the Canadian
Museum of Nature and Scouts Canada.
For more information
on the Canada's wildlife and the Government
of Canada's role, visit the wildlife section
of Environment Canada's website
Eric Richer
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
