_AN EXPRESSION OF CONCERN

prepared by Dan McAskill

On Noverber 13, 1984 the Minister of Envirorment for Canada, Hon. Suzanne Blais-Grenia announced that the Canadian Wildlife Service budget would be mt by $3.8 million and 84 person years. Further investigation and analysis revealed that this represents a cut of roughly 22% of the staff in this agency whereas the overall average across government is approximme 1%. The cuts are being carried cut through the elimination of program and their associated staff. the losses included:

- toxicology studies which were monitoring the levels of insecticides, herbicides and other contaminants in various birds and insects in New Brunswick, the Great Lakes, ‘the Prairies, the Fraser River Valley and the St. Lawrence Estuary (these include the studies which identified the presence - of dioxin andmirex in the Great Lakes);

- rehabilitation projects on endangered species including the reintroduction programs on the peregrine falcon (Quebec and New Brunswick), on the pine martin (Newfoundland), and on the swift fox, black-footed ferret and Greater Prairie Chicken (Prairie Provinces);

- veterinary, pathology, and bioelectronics services which support many of the other program; .

- studies on the Porcupine (Yukon and Alaska) and George River (Quebec and Newfouniland) Caribou herds;

- long term studies on the environm'etal impact of intensive forest managenent and the control of browse damage to plantations;

- the closure of the 5 interpretive centers operated by the CWS (Perce and Cap Tourmente in Quebec, Wye Marsh in Ontario, Webb in Saskatchewan, and Creston Valley in B. C. These centres will be offered to the provincial governments or private enterprise);

These cuts are disheartening to most naturalists as they have been arguing for increased work on many of these program as well as new initiatives to promote wildlife conservation and enhancatent. At the Decanter meeting of the Prince Edward Island Natural History Society a resolution calling for the Society to acpress its concern on the severity of these cuts received unanimous consent. You can assist both the NHS and the Canadian Nature Federation in reducing the severity of these and future cuts to the conservation of our natural resources by writting the Minister of Environment and/or your Member of Parliment to atpress your concern. The Minister's address is Hon. Suzanne Blais-Grenier, Minister of Environment, House of Commons, Ottawa, Ont., KlA 0A6

NOTE: Since the cuts were announced the public response has already led to same changes with the re-instatement of me Great Lakes Herring Gull studies, the forestry spraying bird response studies in New Brunswick, and the Porcupine Caribou herd studies. Your letters can make the difference, please write today.

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