Ottawa Vows to Protect Vulnerable Habitats
11/25/99
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Title: Ottawa vows to protect vulnerable habitats
Source: CBC Radio
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: November 25, 1999
OTTAWA - Ottawa could pay out millions of dollars in compensation as
part of its plan to protect endangered species, the environment
minister says.
David Anderson says the money would go to landowners who suffer losses
because of the need to protect wildlife habitat.
The government is determined to protect vulnerable habitat whether it
is on federal, provincial or privately owned land, Anderson said.
The Species at Risk bill won't be tabled until next spring. But in a
document to be released in the coming weeks, Anderson explains why his
new law needs an infusion of cash to make it work.
"We're not trying to go out there with buckets of money, but when
there is a situation where somebody who would normally be using the
land in a certain way, is requested to use it in a different way, and
takes a financial loss, then we think there is an appropriate role for
compensation."
Compensation has been one of the main demands of landowners and
resource industries who've lobbied against past habitat protection
proposals.
In exchange for compensation, Canada's mining and pulp and paper
lobbies have agreed to accept strong habitat protection backed up by
criminal penalties.
"It just makes sense," Pierre Gratton, of the Mining Association of
Canada, told CBC News.
"If you wilfully go out and destroy habitat, then there should be
consequences. And I don't think anybody is going to have serious
problems with that."
The United States pays about $700 million a year in compensation under
its endangered species law. Anderson expects the Canadian government
would face a tenth of that.
He hopes to be able to spend the money up front and not be forced to
pay it out in lawsuits as often happens in the States.
For that, he'll have to wait for the next budget, in the hope that
Finance Minister Paul Martin will give him the money he needs.