For immediate release

Budget ignores Canada's commitments to environmental conservation

In spite of repeated commitments over the past two years to invest in conservation in Canada by funding national parks, Paul Martin's budget, released yesterday, does not commit one penny to nature.

"This is yet another sad day for nature and wilderness protection in Canada." said Alison Woodley, Federal Campaigner with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), "We have been hearing lots of nice words about the government's commitment to the environment, but they seem unable to put their money where their mouth is."

CPAWS is a member of the Green Budget Coalition, a broad collection of Canadian environmental groups, who have been calling on the federal government to invest in the future by funding environmental initiatives. The group's first priority for nature conservation was a reinvestment in national parks.

"Polls have consistently shown, even after September 11th, that Canadians value their natural heritage and want it protected." said Stephen Hazell, National Executive Director of CPAWS. "Protecting wild places protects clean air and water as well as wildlife. We are doing our children a great disservice by ignoring the urgent need to reinvest in national parks."

National parks are the Canadian government's flagship nature conservation program. Two years ago, a government-appointed blue ribbon panel of experts reported that Canada's national parks were under serious threat from development pressures and needed more money. Since then, the government has committed in the Liberal Red Book and in two "Speeches from the Throne" to investing in new national parks as well as to restoring the ecological health of existing parks. However, to date, not a penny has been committed to this task.

"Ignoring national parks in this budget has huge implications for nature conservation in Canada." notes Ms. Woodley. "New money would have led to the announcement of a new national park off Hudson's Bay in Nunavut to protect caribou, polar bears and whales. Now that may not happen. New money would have helped fend off threats to parks like Nahanni and Waterton Lakes from mining and other development just outside their boundaries. But these parks remain at risk. What will it take for the government to see national parks as more than playgrounds, and to recognize their fundamental contribution to protecting Canada's environment?"

For information, please contact:

Alison Woodley
Federal Campaigner
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, National Office
Telephone (613) 569-7226

www.cpaws.org


Alison Woodley
Federal/Northern Parks Campaigner
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
Tel: (613)569-7226 ext 227
Fax: (613)569-7098
www.cpaws.org