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Posted by Rosemary Drisdelle Mar 6, 2007 |
In December of 2006, Nature Canada joined with other conservation groups and filed a lawsuit against the Canadian Minister of the Environment for failing to protect the Piping Plover. The issue surrounded the identification of critical habitat for this endangered species, an essential step in implementing the Canadian Species at Risk Act. Though critical habitat had been identified in the United States, the Canadian government had not followed suit in its recovery strategy – without identification of critical habitat in Canada, it was impossible to protect the birds.
In February of this year, the Canadian government surprised Nature Canada and the other groups involved by promising to immediately identify critical habitat for Piping Plovers, integrate the information in the Canadian recovery strategy for Piping Plovers, and revisit recovery plans for 50 other endangered species. The move was a victory not only for the species involved, but for the Species at Risk Act itself. Nature Canada is now waiting and hoping that the federal Environment Ministry follows through on its pledge.
Related content:
Don’t Disturb the Piping Plover