2011-09-09 AWA Wilderness & Wildlife Defenders: Save Our Sage-Grouse!
The greater sage-grouse has been called Alberta's most endangered species. In 2011, just 13 male birds were recorded in Alberta, a 98 percent decline since 1968. The plight of the sage-grouse is desperate, and these spectacular birds need all the help they can get if they are going to survive in Alberta.
Background
The greater sage-grouse has been called Alberta’s most endangered species. In 2011, just 13 male birds were recorded in Alberta, a 98 percent decline since 1968. The plight of the sage-grouse is desperate, and these spectacular birds need all the help they can get if they are going to survive in Alberta.
Today, with just 13 male birds recorded in Alberta in 2011, the province’s sage-grouse are in desperate trouble. As is so often the case in Alberta, the cause of the problem is well known (destruction of sage-grouse habitat) and the solution is also known (protect that habitat). If the greater sage-grouse is allowed to disappear, it will be what University of Alberta professor Dr. Mark Boyce describes as “the first case where the oil and gas industry has caused the extirpation of a species in Canada.”
The Issue
To try to save these glamorous grouse before it is too late, AWA hosted an Emergency Sage-Grouse Summit, September 7 and 8 in Calgary. Some of the world's foremost sage-grouse experts gathered together to plan what emergency action could be taken in a last-ditch attempt to save the species in Canada.
As a product of the Summit, a communiqué was produced, outlining the actions required by both provincial and federal governments to prevent the extirpation of the greater sage-grouse and protect its habitat in both Alberta and Canada. AWA has sent a copy of this communiqué to federal and provincial politicians calling for urgent action to save the sage-grouse before it is too late.
Act Now!
Please take your time to add your voice to the growing call to Save Our Sage-Grouse.
Click here to see AWA's letter to federal and provincial politicians.
It will require a concerted effort from both federal and provincial politicians to protect the habitat sage-grouse so badly need. Letters can be sent to:
- The Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada.
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
E-mail: pm@pm.gc.ca - The Honourable Ed Stelmach, Premier of Alberta
Room 307, Legislature Building
10800 – 97th Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6
E-mail: Premier@gov.ab.ca - Hon. Peter Kent, Minister of the Environment (Federal)
E-mail: Minister@ec.gc.ca - Hon. Rob Renner, Minister of Environment (Provincial)
E-mail: medicine.hat@assembly.ab.ca - Hon. Mel Knight, Minister of Sustainable Resource Development
E-mail: grandeprairie.smoky@assembly.ab.ca - Hon. Ron Liepert, Minister of Energy
E-mail: calgary.west@assembly.ab.ca - Alan Latourelle, Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada Agency
E-mail: Alan.Latourelle@pc.gc.ca - Dr. David Swann, Leader Alberta Liberal Party
E-mail: Calgary.mountainview@assembly.ab.ca - Brian Mason, Leader Alberta NDP Party
E-mail: Edmonton.HighlandsNorwood@assembly.ab.ca - Nycole Turmel, Interim Leader New Democratic Party of Canada
E-mail: nycole.turmel@parl.gc.ca - Bob Rae, Interim Leader Liberal Party of Canada
E-mail: bob.rae@parl.gc.ca - Ms. Elizabeth May, Leader Green Party of Canada
E-mail: leader@greenparty.ca
And please send us a copy of your letter to awa.nd@shaw.ca
Thank you for your support!
