Landmark Conservation Legislation in Canada

Canada has set an extraordinary example to the world. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty recently set aside 55 million acres of land – half the size of the province – as permanent conservation land.

I did not read about this in the U.S. media and, shockingly, could find nothing about it in the usual news sources. I first heard of it on the Massbird listserv on which a member quoted Scott Weidensaul’s report of it, which she saw on the carolinabirds listserv.

You can hear about it straight from the source by watching this video:

Scott Weidensaul kindly provided me with a link to his original account of the landmark legislation at his blog. It is a beautiful story. And if you haven't read any of Scott's books, check them out!

Meanwhile, U.S. President George Bush lifts the ban on offshore oil drilling, and the U.S. Department of the Interior opened up 2.6 million acres in Alaska for oil exploration. Although there is no hope for significant conservation measures under this current administration, one can dream that improvements will occur in the next.

For a treasure trove of wonderful information on birds of the boreal regions, with suggestions on how you can help, visit the Boreal Songbird Initiative website. The site also provides a link for writing a thank-you letter to Premier McGuinty. I wrote to him and hope you will too. Thanks to his vision, millions of avian voices will continue to ring out from the far North for years and years to come.