Would you support organizations and individuals that call for the mass destruction of wildlife, of course not? The sad fact is that many of you already do through the "Species at Risk Act of Canada."
This Act has one purpose, that is to protect endangered and threatened species and their habitat, but with a complete disregard for all competing species within that protected habitat.
This Act is so far reaching that if it could have been shown that the 100 sled dogs killed were a threat to an endangered species or their habitat they could be killed with no recourse. The SPCA could say or do nothing; animal rights groups could say and do nothing.
A prime example of the application of this Act is B.C.'s "Northern Spotted Owl Recovery Program." An area of 500,000 hectares of forest land has been designated spotted owl habitat. This area encompasses the entire Squamish and Chilliwack Forest Districts. Nowhere in this 500,000 hectare area is a natural incursion of competing species permitted.
It states "for this program to be successful all barred and horned owls must be removed". It also states there will be public opposition to this program because of the "removal" (killing) of these two competing species. The solution to quelling public indignation was (to the best of my knowledge) to not openly inform the public.
In response to my letter of 2007 addressed to the Minister of Agriculture and Lands with regard to my concern over the Spotted Owl Recovery Program. Mr. Pat Bell Stated "British Columbia has the responsibility to manage the spotted owl recovery program under the Federal Species at Risk Act."
He also acknowledges that despite strict forest management regimes in BC/US border to California, Mexico border populations of the spotted owl declining.
B.C. has opted to deny the existence of this natural process by allowing the killing of every barred and horned owl in the southern one third of this Province. David Suzuki and the Suzuki Foundation advocated saving the spotted owl, but this goal can only be achieved by taking the lives of thousands of other raptors.
Under the "Species at Risk Act" as it now stands we have no recourse but to accept this in total ignorance of what is considered environmentally friendly or in the words of David Suzuki "to help the planet we all depend on."
I think Albert Einstein would have summed up the green, environmental concept in his quote:"There is nothing more dangerous than ignorance unless it is the combination of ignorance and arrogance."
Larry Barnes
Prince George
