It is a mile wide and a mile deep. Nevertheless, conservationists are concerned that an outline of the pending legislation, released in December, does not meet essential criteria for the protection of endangered species. The legislation disregards every key component in the United States Endangered Species Act. Eighty percent of Canada's endangered species migrate across the U.S.-Canada border. Habitat destruction accounts for 80 percent of Canada's endangered species, yet the pending legislation could leave as much as 95 percent of endangered wildlife habitat unprotected, Scott noted.
Canadian citizens deserve the right to hold the federal government accountable.
This is the only way to keep political manipulation from interfering with species survival. Conservationists also criticize the draft legislation for removing from the listing process the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Established in 1976, the national organization is highly regarded for its solid scientific procedures, particularly with regard to species at risk. Canada's political process allows for revisions to the endangered species legislation until the end of March, Scott said. Related Sites The Biodiversity Center at the Defenders of Wildlife offers more on the case for saving endangered species.