HALIFAX, N.S. -- May
11, 2010 -- Canada, Mexico, and the United
States share 882 native landbird species,
almost one-third of which depend substantially
for their survival on at least two of the
countries each year, according to a new
assessment by a collaboration
of conservation scientists in all three
countries. The assessment also identified
148 bird species in need of immediate conservation
attention because of their highly threatened
and declining populations, according to
a report released today by Partners in Flight.
Saving Our Shared Birds:
Partners in Flight Tri-National Vision for
Landbird Conservation is the first comprehensive
conservation assessment of landbirds at
the tri-national level. Partners in Flight
is a cooperative effort involving government
agencies, non-profit conservation organizations,
academic institutions, professional associations,
industry, and private individuals.
Key findings of Saving
Our Shared Birds: Partners in Flight Tri-National
Vision for Landbird Conservation:
•The most imperiled
birds include 44 species with very limited
distributions, mostly in Mexico, including
the Thick-billed Parrot and Horned Guan.
•Of high tri-national
concern are 80 tropical residents with ranges
in Mexico, such as the Red-breasted Chat
and Resplendent Quetzal.
•Warranting immediate
action to prevent further declines are 24
species that breed in the United States
and Canada, including Cerulean Warbler,
Black Swift, and Canada Warbler.
•42 common bird species
have steeply declined by 50% or more in
the past 40 years, including Common Nighthawk,
Eastern Meadowlark and Loggerhead Shrike.
"The release of
this report illustrates our three countries'
commitment to the long-term conservation
of the continent's biological diversity
and to working with each other to protect
our shared natural heritage through forums
like the Trilateral Committee for Wildlife
and Ecosystem Conservation and Management,
the North American Bird Conservation Initiative,
and the International Year of Biodiversity,"
said Virginia Poter, Director General at
Environment Canada's Canadian Wildlife Services.
"The Government of Canada is proud
to contribute to the conservation of our
migratory birds and to collaborate with
the United States and Mexico to protect
our shared birdlife."
International bird conservation
partners from the United States, Canada,
and Mexico released the report on May 11,
2010, at the Fifteenth Annual Trilateral
Committee for Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation
and Management meeting in Halifax, Nova
Scotia, Canada. The release of the report
also brought attention to International
Migratory Bird Day 2010, celebrating The
Power of Partnerships.
"This Partners
in Flight report will help us build on the
great work currently being done by the many
federal agencies, conservation groups, academic
institutions and individuals who care about
birds throughout the Western Hemisphere.
Our many bird conservation initiatives such
as Partners in Flight and the Neotropical
Migratory Bird Conservation Act are already
making a difference for birds," said
Rowan Gould, acting director of the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service. "We are
committed to increasing our cooperation
with Mexico and Canada and working together
to help save our shared birdlife."
"The winter ranges
of shared migrants show a striking geographic
overlap with the ranges of species at greatest
risk of extinction," said Dr. José
Sarukhán Kermez, National Coordinator
of Mexico's National Commission for the
Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO).
"More than 100 of the migrants shared
substantially among our three countries
depend on the same tropical and pine-oak
forests in Mexico that support highly threatened
tropical residents."
This report is the latest
effort by Partners in Flight to help species
at risk and keep common birds common-its
mission since 11000. Partners in Flight
achieves success in conserving bird populations
in the Western Hemisphere through combining
resources of public and private organizations
in North and South America.
To view Saving Our Shared
Birds: Partners in Flight Tri-National Vision
for Landbird Conservation, visit Environment
Canada's web site at: http://www.ec.gc.ca/mbc-com/default.asp?lang=En&n=7AEDFD2C-1
or www.savingoursharedbirds.org.
+ More
Governments of Canada
and Northwest Territories Complete an Interim
Response to the Joint Review Panel Report
for the Mackenzie Gas Project
OTTAWA, Ont. - May 17,
2010 - The Governments of Canada and the
Northwest Territories today announced that
they have completed an interim response
to the Joint Review Panel's (JRP) report
for the Mackenzie Gas Project (MGP). The
interim response addresses the JRP's 176
recommendations regarding mitigation of
the potential environmental and social impacts
of the proposed MGP.
"The Governments
of Canada and the Northwest Territories
have collaborated to respond to the JRP
recommendations regarding the Mackenzie
Gas Project. The release of this information
brings us closer to another MGP milestone,"
said Environment Minister Jim Prentice.
"The environmental assessment of the
project will be finalized under the Mackenzie
Valley Resource Management Act and the Canadian
Environmental Assessment Act. This will
assure Northerners and all Canadians that
the environmental and socio-economic impacts
of this project have been assessed under
a rigorous process."
"This government
recognizes the importance of the mitigation
measures outlined in the JRP report and
acknowledges the need for sustainable economic
development within a rigorous environmental
stewardship framework in the Northwest Territories."
said Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs
and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor
for the Métis. "The sharing
of the Interim Response will inform consultations
with Aboriginal groups prior to the preparation
of the final response."
The Governments of Canada
and the Northwest Territories believe that
the interim response is in keeping with
the overall intent of the JRP's report and
have concluded that implementing the interim
response would eliminate or significantly
reduce any of the adverse impacts of the
MGP. This is reflected by the fact that
both Governments propose to accept or accept
the intent of the vast majority of the recommendations
within their respective jurisdictions.
The Governments have
acknowledged the importance of the mitigation
measures outlined by the JRP and have responded
to the wide range of recommendations. The
proposed responses support environmental
mitigation ranging from permafrost and terrain
monitoring, inspection and enforcement strategy
for fish and fish habitat protection, plans
for dredging and barge landings, recovery
strategies and actions plans for Species
at Risk, habitat offsets in response to
future development in the Kendall Island
Bird Sanctuary, implementation of the NWT
Protected Areas Strategy, to emergency response
and spill prevention procedures.
The interim response
will be provided to Aboriginal groups living
along the proposed pipeline route to ensure
that potentially affected groups have substantive
information in advance of upcoming consultations.
The outcomes of this ongoing consultation
process will inform the development of the
final response. Consultation with the JRP
regarding proposed modifications and rejections
to the recommendations will also be undertaken
prior to finalizing the response.
Following consultations,
the Governments of Canada and the Northwest
Territories will finalize the interim response
before posting it on the Canadian Environmental
Assessment Registry internet site. It will
also be distributed to the National Energy
Board before it releases its "Reasons
for Decision" on whether to issue the
required authorizations respecting the MGP.
To find out more about
the Interim Response and upcoming Aboriginal
consultations, please visit the Mackenzie
Gas Project Office website at http://www.ec.gc.ca/bpgm-mgpo/default.asp?lang=En&n=3A161B21-1
Related documents:
Overview to the GoC's Response to the Joint
Review Panel: Outlines the Government of
Canada (GoC) approach to the Joint Review
Panel 's (JRP) recommendations and Aboriginal
consultation, and provides further details
regarding the next steps in the process.
(May 2010)
Backgrounder: (Governments'
Response Update): Outlines the process following
the release of the Joint Review Panel's
Report and the next steps in the preparation
of the Government's response. (May 2010)
Backgrounder: (Government
Response): Outlines the process following
the release of the Joint Review Panel's
Report and the next steps in the preparation
of the Government's response. (December
2009)
For more information, please contact:
Frédéric Baril
