Cut down to size

The Sierra Legal Defence Fund has released a report card on forestry management in Canada...and neither the five provinces studied nor the federal government have much to be proud of:

The group studied conservation laws in the provinces with the highest levels of commercial forestry - New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia - and found little to cheer.

"The analysis found that forest conservation laws and policies in all five provincial jurisdictions is pathetic," says the report, which gives Quebec the highest mark at 43 per cent, and Alberta the lowest at 24 per cent.

The marks are based on 21 criteria relating to land-use planning, parks and protected areas, endangered species, use of pesticides and respect for aboriginal rights...

The federal government got a passing mark of 54 per cent because its endangered species legislation is stronger than that of any province, she said. But only a small portion of Canada's forests are under federal jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, a study by Environmental Defence Canada and others focusing on endangered species in Ontario produced similar results:

Polar bears, barn owls, monarch butterflies and other endangered animals and plants and are in an alarming state of decline in Ontario, yet outdated provincial legislation is doing little to reverse the trend, according to an environmental study released today.
In fact, the analysis indicates more than three-quarters of species identified as endangered receive no legal protection in the province, while the law barely protects even those that it expressly acknowledges need help.

Environmental groups have rightly shown concern over the Cons' success in the federal election. But it's worth remembering how many environmental issues are under provincial jurisdiction - and noticing how poorly the provinces are doing. After all, it'll take serious improvement on both levels to start reversing the damage pointed out today.