Press Release/Communiqué
Chaplin
Lake Joins International Network of Important Bird
Areas
June
09, 2000
For Immediate Release
Chaplin
Lake, SK— Chaplin
Lake received international recognition today as a
globally significant Important Bird Area (IBA), joining
BirdLife International's global network of IBA sites.
The site dedication is part of Chaplin Tourism's Chaplin
Lake Shorebird Fundraiser, which takes place on June
9 starting at 5:30 p.m.
Each springtime,
tens of thousands of shorebirds can be found at Chaplin
Lake during their spring migration. "This is
one of the world's most significant staging areas
for Baird's Sandpipers, hosting as much as 40% of
the worldwide population, noted Christie Chute, IBA
Outreach Coordinator for the Canadian Nature Federation,
"We are pleased to be able to recognize the important
work of Chaplin Tourism to conserve this national
treasure.
"By
identifying sites of national importance to Canadian
bird populations, the Canadian Nature Federation,
through the Important Bird Areas Community Action
Fund program, is engaging communities to implement
the priorities it has identified to protect birds
and their habitats for the new millennium, said the
Honourable Herb Gray, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister
responsible for the Government of Canada's millennium
initiative.
This program
is part of Natural Legacy 2000, which the Government
of Canada is supporting with a contribution of $10
million nationally through the Canada Millennium Partnership
Program (CMPP), which funds up to one third of eligible
costs of projects that meet its criteria. Out of this
amount, the Canadian Nature Federation, which is responsible
for the IBA program, receives $1,250,000.
While the
combined numbers of Sanderlings, Baird's Sandpipers,
and Semipalmated Sandpipers that visit Canada's second
largest saline lake in the springtime exceed 100,000,
the bird species that is receiving perhaps the greatest
attention numbers only 200 or so. Two hundred Piping
Plovers may not seem like a lot of birds, but it amounts
to over 3% of the world's population of this endangered
bird species. "We are fortunate to be able to
provide a temporary home for this remarkable bird
species that is teetering on the brink of extinction,
noted Clem Millar, Chairman of Chaplin Tourism, "hopefully
through our plover monitoring project and associated
public education, we can do our part to help recover
the Piping Plover to healthy population levels.
The Piping
Plover pair and brood survey being carried out by
Chaplin Tourism and the Saskatchewan Wetland Conservation
Council is one of the many ways that the Chaplin community
is showing its appreciation for bird diversity in
the area. "With over 65,000 visitors at the nature
centre, the interest that is met during school presentations,
and the general support that we have received by the
community, we can say with confidence that Chaplin
is for the birds noted Joe Schmutz "and the dedication
of Chaplin Lake as globally significant Important
Bird Area is the icing on the cake.
Joe Schmutz,
Important Bird Areas Community Conservation Planner
for Nature Saskatchewan, is working with local communities
to develop conservation plans for a number of Important
Bird Areas throughout Saskatchewan, including Chaplin
Lake. The Important Bird Areas Program is being delivered
in Canada by the Canadian Nature Federation and Bird
Studies Canada, and in Saskatchewan by Nature Saskatchewan.
These three organizations will continue to work with
the surrounding communities to develop appropriate
action strategies to ensure that bird populations
remain healthy into the next millenium. Please visit
our Important Bird Areas web site at www.ibacanada.com
.
For more
information on Natural Legacy 2000 or on the Government
of Canada's Millennium Partnership Program, visit
the Canada and the Millennium web site at www.millennium.gc.ca
or call 1-800-O-Canada.
For more
information, please contact:
Clem Millar,
Chaplin Tourism (306) 395-2223
Joe Schmutz, IBA Community Conservation Planner (306)
966-2410
Christie Chute, Canadian Nature Federation (613) 562-8208
ext. 245
Marcel Gaumond, Millennium Bureau of Canada (613)
943-3239
