Canada: Possible Budget Cuts Threaten Wildlife

Is Environment Canada slashing funding to essential wildlife programs because it has overspent its budget. Is its new focus on climate change causing it to abandon programs that provide important services? These questions are circulating in Ottawa and els

Word has begun circulating that the Canadian federal government plans to freeze and reduce funding for programs that are aimed at protecting and preserving Canada’s wildlife. The following are potential areas that may be effected: • The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Network, which observes changes in ecosystems, has lost 80 per cent of its budget. • The Migratory Bird Program, which monitors the health of bird populations, has seen its budget cut by 50 per cent. • The budget for the National Wildlife Areas, a program that protects nationally significant habitats for wildlife and birds, has been slashed from $1.9 million to zero. The cuts that are causing the greatest concern are those that impact the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS). CWS is the producer of Hinterland Who's Who public service ads and is directly responsible for studying and protecting wildlife in Canada. “Wildlife doesn't have a voice, and sometimes the results of cuts today aren't realized for many years," said Sandy Baumgartner, executive director of programs and communications for the Canadian Wildlife Federation. "I simply can't believe. Have we become this urbanized, have we become this uncaring that these places could be in jeopardy?" said Bob Bailey, who is with the Delta Waterfowl Foundation and is also Bob Bailey, a hunter and conservationist. Apparently, Environment Canada has overspent its budget, Environment Canada has said that no programs were slashed. Am email was sent that said "The government has been clear that its priorities are being a climate change champion, and taking real action to provide clean air and clean water for Canadians. We think Canadians are supportive of those priorities." Not much of a response and a good example of how being preoccupied with a narrow definition of climate change and a limited understanding of ecosystems and how they work can lead to government policies that create more problems that they solve.