Canada Wants Farmers in Habitat Plan
12/18/99
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Title: Canada wants farmers in habitat plan
Source: United Press International
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: December 18, 1999
Canada's environment minister said Friday he is preparing legislation
to compensate landowners who protect the habitat of endangered
species that have moved onto their land.
David Anderson said the federal government wants to discourage the
approach of "shoot, shovel, and shut up," which some farmers could
adopt when they find an endangered or threatened species on their
land.
"Enforcement measures, while occasionally necessary, cannot become
the norm," he said. His plan would be based on cooperation, not
confrontation.
Canada has previously put into action measures to ensure that the
habitat of endangered species would be protected, and several of
these would be used as models for future plans, officials said.
Earlier plans included the North American Waterfowl Management Plan,
in which $1.2 billion ($1.7 billion Canadian) was invested to secure
750,000 hectares of wetland and upland habitat, and Operation
Burrowing Owl, in which some 700 landowners in Alberta and
Saskatchewan were involved in protecting the owl.
However, some farmers and ranchers in Canada were suspicious that the
federal government was planning to take some of their land to protect
endangered wildlife, without adequately compensating them.
After Anderson's announcement on Friday, several farmers said they
were less worried.
Environment Canada officials said the federal government intends to
introduce the new legislation in Parliament early next year.
They pointed out that of 340 species classified as being at risk, 12
have now become extinct and 15 have been extirpated from the Canadian
landscape.
Environmental activists criticized Anderson's plan as being too
prudent and not nearly covering all wildlife at risk, but
commentators said advancing too rapidly would obviously involve
political risks.
Environment Canada said a recent survey showed that 88 percent of
Canadians would support legislation to protect the habitat of
endangered species.
However, officials said Anderson wished to ensure that all Canadians
bore the costs of protecting endangered wildlife, not just those
whose land was involved _ an apparent reference to compensation and
income tax incentives.