Call for nominations of Canada’s most endangered rivers
March 2003
Is your favourite river threatened by dam building, logging, pesticides, industrial pollution, or over fishing? Do you think that the international exposure provided in cooperation with two of Canada’s most enterprising conservation groups might help your local community, First Nation, or grassroots conservation group protect the river that you love?
If so, go to http://www.endangeredrivers.net [Note: this site no longer exists] and make your voice heard for the future of Canada’s endangered rivers.
For the second year in a row, Vancouver,BC-based Earthwild International will work with communities and conservation groups from across Canada to create a list of Canada’s most endangered rivers. In 2002, Quebec’s Rupert and Kipawa Rivers shared top spot, with New Brunswick’s Petitcodiac River, Newfoundland’s Main River, Ontario and Quebec’s St. Lawrence River, and BC’s Okanagan River rounding out the top five. Maybe your river will be in the top ten this year?
In 2003, Wildcanada.net, a Canmore, Alberta-based national conservation group, will work with Earthwild to develop on-line education and outreach programs for the most endangered river in each of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories. Wildcanada.net’s work will help celebrate 2003 International Year of Fresh Water.
Canada’s Endangered Rivers Program aims to help Canadians and people from around the world understand the importance of Canada’s rivers to fish and wildlife, as well as human cultures and human health.
Nominations will be reviewed by an independent committee of water and river experts, chaired by Environmental Lawyer and Professor David R. Boyd. The committee will create a list of the top ten endangered rivers, as well as a list of rivers at risk in Canada.
Nominations for the Endangered River’s program are being accepted online at http://www.endangeredrivers.net. For people who are not comfortable making the nomination on-line, a nomination form is available for download at that web site.
Once the review committee selects the list of most Endangered Rivers, Wildcanada.net will work with the First Nations, communities, and conservation groups that nominated each river to develop on-line “Action Centres” where people can learn about the challenges facing each river, and become involved in the debate over each river’s future. This tool will allow thousands of people from across Canada and from around the world to learn about Canada’s rivers and to play a role in determining their fate.
Nominations opened on February 1, 2003, and will close at 5pm MST on March 31, 2003.
So go with the flow: nominate a river and watch for the Endangered Rivers Action Centre coming this summer. For further information, or to nominate a river, visit http://www.endangeredrivers.net. Pass this message on to other river lovers across Canada!
The Endangered Rivers Program has been made possible as a result of the generosity of the Mountain Equipment Coop Environment Fund, TD Friends of the Environment, the Body Shop Foundation, and Alberta Ecotrust.
For further comment contact: Cara Ryan (604) 707-0787 (cara@earthwild.ca) or Stephen Legault (403) 609-2509 (legault@wildcanada.net)
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Stephen Legault
Executive Director
Wildcanada.net
legault@wildcanada.net
phone (403) 609-2509
fax (403) 609-2998
Box 8145, Canmore, Alberta Canada, T1W 2T9
Website: http://www.wildcanada.net
Barry Breau – Managing Director