CANADIAN NATURE 
     
     FEDERATION UPDATE 
     
    
   
   
    
     CANADIAN NATURE FEDERATION REPORT by H. Winston Johnston 
     
    
   
   
    
     The annual CNF meeting held last summer in Calgary began a new year of the 
     
     Federation whereby Provincial Directors are full Board members and as such expected 
     
     to attend quarterly meetings. As a result I attended the September and November 
     
     meetings of CNF in Ottawa. I will report briefly on the September meeting and the 
     
     November at a later date. 
     
    

    
     At the September meeting I was informed that Rick Pratt had resigned in July 
     
     to take employment with Environment Canada and has been replaced by Mr. Gregg 
     
     Sheehy who commenced his position with CNF on 4 October of this year. Gregg holds 
     
     a Master's degree from the University of Toronto in Forestry and has been working 
     
     for consulting firms in Ontario. 
     
    

    
     CNF is concerned with a declining membership (down to 18,207 from 19,618 a 
     
     year ago) and a number of promotions are underway to help correct this situation. 
     
     NHS members will note that application forms for CNF membership are present at most 
     
     meetings and if you are not already a member, please take an application form and 
     
     consider joining ($15/yr and you get four issues of Nature Canada as well as book- 
     
     store privileges, etc.). CNF needs your support. 
     
    

    
     Most business items discussed at the September meetings did not pertain to 
     
     PEI but if anyone wants to read the minutes or discuss in detail any item please 
     
     contact me and I can perhaps give you some information. One item discussed was the 
     
     regional meeting held several weeks ago in Sackville; I want to congratulate the 
     
     NHS at this time for sending such a strong contingent to that meeting and helping 
     
     to make it a success. Plans are already underway for the 1983 regional meeting, 
     
     more on that at a later date. 
     
    

    
     I want to ask you to support CNF as your National voice. Many of the issues 
     
     that the NHS has can best be solved by cooperation with other Naturalists groups 
     
     and CNF provides this forum. 
     
    
   
   
    
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     CNF REGIONAL MEETING 
     
    
   
   
    
     On Oct. 23rd ten members of the P.E.I. Natural History Society attended the 
     
     second annual Atlantic regional meeting of the Canadian Nature Federation in 
     
     Sackville, New Brunswick. About forty delegates were present; most were from New 
     
     Brunswick with small numbers from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. The purpose of 
     
     the gathering, organized by CNF regional Vice-President Hal Mills, was to improve 
     
     communications among individual naturalists, groups and CNF and to focus on 
     
     specific issues of current environmental concern in this region. 
     
    

    
     The morning's session featured a workshop on Forest Management, including 
     
     presentations by David Christie, an environmental consultant from N.B.; Dr. Ian Mac 
     
     Quarrie of the Biology Dept. at U.P.E.I.; and Liz Calder of the Nova Scotia 
     
     committee opposing herbicide spraying. The lively exchange which followed was an 
     
     indication of the concern as well as the diversity of views on acceptable uses and 
     
     management approaches for the woodlands of the region. 
     
    

    
     Speakers for the afternoon workshop on Offshore Oil and Gas were Phil Tsui, 
     
     an environmental planner with Mobil Oil; Murray Coolican of the Canadian Arctic 
     
     Resources Committee (CARC); and Eric Tull, a consultant on northern environmental 
     
     issues. The session focussed on development proposals for the Venture field off 
     
     Sable Island and how naturalist groups can most effectively make input to ensure 
     
     environmental safeguards. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
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