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In a national poll marking the tenth anniversary of Canada’s Species at Risk Act, Canadians expressed overwhelming support for strong efforts that protect wildlife, the environment, and our economy, and for the federal government to lead those efforts.

We agree. And if you love endangered species too, I encourage you to tell Prime Minister Stephen Harper today, by writing a letter.

Think of it as a Valentine’s Day card on behalf of Canada’s wildlife.

Canada’s plant and animal species are the basic building blocks for the natural systems we rely on to provide us with clean water, clean air, productive soil, pollination, food, pest and disease control and carbon storage. Our long-term health depends on maintaining a diversity of species and healthy ecosystems.

As the federal government considers changes to the Species at Risk Act, here’s our vision for protecting endangered wildlife in Canada:

• Conservation first, then sustainable development. Preserve adequate habitat through a network of interconnected protected areas before development takes place, so our wildlife have the space they need to survive.

• Strong federal commitment is absolutely essential to identify the wildlife species that need help; restrict activities that threaten or kill them; protect their habitat; and take active steps to help them recover. And we need to do this for all species at risk within our borders.

• Deciding whether a species is at risk, and preparing recovery plans to save those species, should be science-based, not based on politics, or socioeconomic considerations. These principles must be maintained if we are going to prevent extinctions and spur recovery.

• Endangered species and people are better off when we feel connected to nature – celebrating its wonder, understanding its complexity and protecting it for future generations.

The Species at Risk Act is one of Canada’s most important federal environmental laws. Protecting our wildlife does not require a new Act; it does require a federal government committed to fully implementing the existing one.

If you believe in these principles for effective protection of our most vulnerable species, please share your opinions with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Environment Minister Peter Kent.  Send a letter today.

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Red-headed woodpecker. Photo by Matt Ward.

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