Swamp-thistle Cirsium muticrun BO

HABITAT CODES: BO - bog/swamp; BR - burn; CO - cut over; D - dry soil; FP - flood plain; HW - hardwood; LL - lowland; M - moist soil; MW - mixed wood; R - rich soil; SL - steep slopes; SW - softwood; T - Tolerant overstory; UL- upland; W - wet soil. e.g. RHWFP - rich, hardwood, flood plain.

TROUT KILLS:

Torrential rains on July 10th heralded the death of hundreds of speckled trout as pesticides were washed fiom potato fields into adjacent streams. Sudden heavy rains in the 2 weeks that followed led to still more fish kills. By the end of summer, fish kills had been reported in 8 of the Island's 263 watersheds. Despite the scientific difficulties with identifying sudden pesticide kills, the report confirmed that the kills were attributed to pesticides from potato fields.

The government responded by creating the Action Committee on Agricultural Runoff Control. It had strong representation from the potato industry which has expressed serious concern about the fish kills. In addition, it had representation from surface water and trout enhancement specialists. The Committee's report was released on October 7th. It's recommendation included stricter enforcement of existing legislation, movement of the efi'ective date for bufl‘er zones for agriculture to an earlier date than originally planned, amendments on property tax to encourage environmental farm plans to be implemented on leased land, targets for environmental farm plan development by potato farmers, a code of practice, and other recommendations.

The government issued a press release on October 7th expressing praise for the work of the Committee and indicating support for implementation of the recommendations. It was unfortrmate that the Ministers' News Release

was rather ambiguous with regard to deadlines for implementation. Watch developments in the coming months to see what actions are implemented.

NEWS FROM ABOUT: Compiled by J. Dan McAskill

The Canadian Nature Federation (CNF) and naturalists in many communities welcomed an agreement between the governments of Canada and Nunavut to create a new national park called Sirmilik on northern Baffin Island. The agreement also elevates two existing parks - Auyuittuq and Ellesmere Island from national park reserves to full fledged national parks. Inuit leaders and government officials worked for over a decade to bring this joint effort to reality. Sirmilik brings the number of national parks to 39 with 25 of Parks Canada's 39 natural regions now represented in the national terrestrial park system. At over 22,500 sq. km., Sirmilik National Park is the third largest in the park system, which now protects 2.5 per cent of Canada from industrial development.

Just fifieen seconds of time filling your gasoline tank will reduce toxic emissions, save Canadians $1 million a year and two million litres of gasoline, and reduce benzene emissions by 15 tonnes a year. This change will be imposed with the introduction Gasoline and Gasoline Blend Dispensing Flow Rate Regulations. The change will reduce spillage and cut the amount of pollution released when gas vapors are displaced from tanks. Most of the country's 13,000 gas stations will have to modify their pumps at an estimated cost of $4 million but Environment Canada officials said the slower fill-ups will save Canadians about $1 million a year and two million litres of gasoline. The use of a small turbine designed as a backup power generator for hotels, hospitals and shopping centres can almost totally eliminate wasteful gas flaring in the Alberta oil patch while putting new power into our electric power grid. (adapted from Canadian Nature Federation’s Conservation News Weekly Summary and June 7 daily summary by Tom Balint)

The Bald Eagle is about to soar off the United States endangered species list! This majestic national bird declined because of the United States poisoned its environment. The eagle nearly disappeared from the lower 48