          
DID YOU KNOW...About one-half of Canada's annual wood harvest comes from the Boreal Forest, making a sizable contribution to the more than $400 million in annual government payments from the forest sector |
Media CentrePress Releases2006Major Conservation Groups and Birding Community Endorse Boreal Forest Conservation FrameworkMay 12, 2006 - Ottawa The Canadian Boreal Initiative today announced that two major conservation organizations - Nature Canada and the National Audubon Society - and 12 American birding-related companies have signaled their support for a made-in-Canada effort to balance conservation and development in Canada's Boreal region. The announcement coincides with the Boreal theme of this year's upcoming International Migratory Bird Day on May 13, 2006. Nature Canada, the National Audubon Society, Big Pocket Birding Outfitters, Birder's World Magazine, Coffee for the Birds, Counter Culture Coffee, Montrail, Mountaineers Books, Nature Vision, Outdoor Research, Steiner Optics, Wild Bird Centers of America, Wild Birds Unlimited Inc. and Zeiss Optics Inc. today announced their support for the Boreal Forest Conservation Framework. Launched in 2003 by an unlikely alliance of leading Canadian companies, First Nations and conservation groups, the Boreal Forest Conservation Framework conservation vision continues to gain momentum. Today's announcement comes as a strong endorsement of the Framework from North American birding and naturalist companies and organizations. "It's clear that the warblers, sparrows, ducks and so many other migratory species that we look forward to seeing this time of year depend on Canada's Boreal to nest and raise their young," said Cathy Wilkinson, Executive Director of the Canadian Boreal Initiative. "It's equally clear that the future of the Boreal depends on us and our ability to take a balanced approach, planning for conservation in advance of rapidly expanding industrial interest in key Boreal places like the Mackenzie Valley." Over 270 bird species that migrate long distances each spring to the Boreal region to nest and raise their young from the United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Hundreds of thousands of ducks such as the Greater and Lesser Scaup, the three scoter species, birds such as the Rusty Blackbird and Lesser Yellowlegs - all species of conservation concern based on declining populations - are among the nearly 50% of North American bird species that are found in the Boreal region. Research also shows that the Boreal sustains some of the world's most abundant bird populations, including literally billions of landbirds and millions of waterfowl, waterbirds and shorebirds. While highlighting the beauty of Canada's Boreal forests, wetlands and waters, and its importance to migratory birds, the hundreds of events and activities related to International Migratory Bird Day also address the factors that are impacting this region and provide numerous ways in which the public may become involved in the conservation of this region. Sponsors include the Canadian Boreal Initiative, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Environment Canada, the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, ConocoPhillips, Partners in Flight, the National Park Service, Defenders of Wildlife, National Audubon Society, Swift Optics, Inc., U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Federation, Bureau of Land Management, Department of Defense, Goldcrest Distributing and the Boreal Songbird Initiative. To find out more about birds and Canada's Boreal, visit www.borealcanada.ca and www.borealbirds.org To find out more information about International Migratory Bird Day, visit www.birdday.org . -30- For more information: |
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