ATTENTION:
ASSIGNMENT EDITORS
Suffield
NWA: Canada’s military on guard for wildlife
protection
OTTAWA
(18 June 2003) — Representatives from the
Canadian Nature Federation will join the Honourable
David Anderson, Minister of the Environment, and Major-General
Marc Caron, Deputy Commander of the Army, on Thursday
to dedicate Canada’s newest National Wildlife
Area at CFB Suffield, Alberta. This designation means
that 458 square kilometers of endangered ecosystem—
one-fifth of the military base—will remain in
natural condition in perpetuity.
Just west of Medicine Hat, AB, Suffield National Wildlife
Area will conserve North America’s largest contiguous
area of prairie grassland, providing for an incredible
diversity of wildlife including short-horned lizards,
prairie rattlesnakes, burrowing owls, and loggerhead
shrike. The South Saskatchewan River winds through
55 kilometres of the Wildlife Area, acting as a major
wintering area for mule deer and pronghorn and home
to Alberta’s oldest grove of cottonwoods.
DEDICATION
CEREMONY
Date:
Thursday, 19 June 2003
Time: 10:00 am
Location: Canadian Forces Base Suffield, ALBERTA
The
Canadian Nature Federation advocates for conservation
of Canada’s National Wildlife Areas and other
protected areas. Representative available for comment
on Thursday:
- Julie
Gelfand, President of the Canadian Nature Federation
Media
should arrive at the Ralston Arena no later than 9:45
am Mountain time for presentations and the signing
ceremony at 11am.
For
media unable to attend, the ceremony will be webcast
(1pm Eastern time) at www.army.gc.ca/Suffield/English/video.asp
For more information:
Marc Johnson, Canadian Nature Federation
Ph: (613) 562-3447 / 1-800-267-4088
| The
Canadian Nature Federation is a member-based non-profit
nature conservation organization dedicated to
protecting nature, its diversity, and the processes
that sustain it. Our supporters include over 40,000
individual supporters and 100 affiliated organizations,
including local and provincial naturalist groups.
The Canadian Nature Federation and Bird Studies
Canada are Canadian co-partners in BirdLife International,
a global partnership of conservation organizations
and research institutions that conserve birds,
habitat and global biodiversity. |
