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Protect North America’s Boreal Forest

Target: The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada; The Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development; The Honourable John Baird, Minister of the Environment
Sponsored by: Boreal Songbird Initiative

The Boreal Forest of North America is the summer breeding ground for over 300 species of birds we see regularly in urban Canada and the U.S., including sparrows, warblers, woodpeckers, and the endangered Whooping Crane. Now, these birds and our environment are under threat.

International oil companies are on a fast track to construct oil and gas pipelines through the Boreal Forest Ā– the last unspoiled forest on Earth.

These pipelines will fuel the Alberta Tar Sands, the dirtiest oil extraction process on Earth, which produces 3 times as much greenhouse gas as conventional oil production, accelerating global warming.

We need to ensure that critical habitat is protected before these pipelines are built, or our birds and our environment will suffer greatly. We also need to put the brakes on Tar Sands pollution!

Runaway energy development will destroy forest habitat for millions of migratory birds and release vast amounts of stored carbon into the atmosphere. We are at risk of losing this pristine wilderness forever.

Canadian officials have proposals in front of them right now to protect the Boreal Forest.

Send a letter today urging them to protect the Boreal and put a moratorium on Tar Sands expansion before any pipeline is built!

deadline: 2-8-2008
goal: 3,000

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Prime Minister Harper,

I am writing to urge you to move forward on the commitment your government has made to protect wilderness in the Boreal Forest.

The Boreal Forest is the summer breeding ground for over 300 species of our most treasured birds, including the rapidly declining Lesser Yellowlegs and Olive-sided Flycatcher and the endangered Whooping Crane. This fragile area is also home to some of the world’s largest populations of caribou, wolves, and bear.

I am deeply concerned about the future of the area. The accelerating pace of energy development – including the Mackenzie Gas Project and Alberta Tar Sands – is threatening critical habitat and endangered species. The only way we can prevent irreversible damage to the Boreal is to establish community-supported protected areas in advance of pipeline development, and to place a moratorium on further Tar Sands projects until environmental issues have been addressed.

Your government has a number of proposals to establish new National Parks and other protected areas in the Northwest Territories. These proposals are widely supported by Aboriginal peoples, local communities, and conservation groups throughout North America. As a first step toward protection of the Boreal Forest, we would like to see action to advance the Northwest Territories Protected Area Strategy and specifically, to ensure immediate protection for the following sites:

1. Nahanni National Park
2. Sayhoue/Edacho National Historical Site
3. Edehzhie (Horn Plateau) National Wildlife Area
4. Thaydene Nene (East Arm, Great Slave Lake) National Park
5. Ts'ude'hliline – Tuyetah (Ramparts) National Wildlife Area

There are other serious consequences that our environment could face if the area is disrupted, including expansion of the highly polluting Alberta Tar Sands. It is vital that Alberta Tar Sands development does not pollute our air, water, or land, and that carbon emissions are reduced.

I urge you to place a moratorium on expansion of the Tar Sands until environmental concerns and global warming are addressed.

For the sake of our wildlife and of our environment, I hope we can count on you to honor your government’s promises to protect the Boreal Forest.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

cc: Environment Minister Baird
cc: Northern Territories Minister Prentice

We signed the “Protect North America’s Boreal Forest” petition!

# 8,153:

4:08 pm PDT, Apr 21, Name not displayed, New York

# 8,152:

2:58 pm PDT, Apr 19, Carol Friend, Canada
Protecting our environment should be a priority before the greed of business interests

# 8,151:

1:05 pm PDT, Apr 17, Claudia R, Florida
For your children, do not destroy this beautiful source of energy and life!

# 8,150:

10:29 am PDT, Apr 13, Dannielle Philipson, Canada

# 8,149:

12:29 am PDT, Mar 28, Art Deco, Maine

# 8,148:

10:52 pm PDT, Mar 22, Ann Lamarche, Canada

# 8,146:

8:36 pm PDT, Mar 18, Shannon Sultan, Wisconsin

# 8,145:

11:58 am PDT, Mar 14, Nabeelah Hariprashad, Canada

# 8,144:

11:17 am PDT, Mar 10, E. Bromfield, Canada
Canada's boreal forests must be protected because they are one of the worlds greatest reservoirs of carbon. In this regard they are more important than tropical forests. Boreal forests also serve as a major carbon sink as well as providing habitat for considerable animal and plant biodiversity incuding endangered species. The uncontrolled release of carbon into the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels (global warming) is exacerbating boreal forest insect infestations and fires. These threats among others will have severe repurcussions for all living things because the vast reservoir of carbon stored in boreal forests are being released into the atmosphere. Above all boreal forests are beautiful and must be protected now.

# 8,143:

9:25 am PST, Mar 4, Linda Olson, Texas

# 8,142:

6:21 pm PST, Mar 3, Michael Nelson, Canada

# 8,141:

7:45 am PST, Feb 23, Lois Mitchell, Canada
With all the current awareness of the need to reduce carbon emissions as well as the need to recapture and store carbon to save this civilization,why are we allowing the continued destruction of this most efficient carbon sinc? And emitting clouds of carbon in the process!!!

# 8,140:

4:46 pm PST, Feb 20, John Perry, Canada
This signifies the decline of Canada as a reasonable sciety

# 8,139:

10:29 am PST, Feb 19, Willi Braun, Canada
The future is a long time; it last longer than today's oil and other natural resources. Let's not shorten the future, please!

# 8,138:

12:56 pm PST, Feb 17, Amy Anderson, Illinois

# 8,137:

2:21 pm PST, Feb 10, Carmen Reid, California
The idea that many square miles of wilderness are being strip-mined so that we in the United States can continue to drive our SUV's literally makes me sick. I got rid of my car, just to avoid the horrible feeling of being involved in such a shameful thing. If Americans knew about this they would be sickened. I see that publicity about the tar sands themselves, as well as the proposed pipeline, is kept scrupulously out of the papers. If we are this desperate to drive, we are doomed. Sincerely, Carmen Reid

# 8,136:

9:33 am PST, Feb 6, Name not displayed, Spain
I think the government should protect National Parks because they are the ones paying the staff

# 8,135:

8:51 am PST, Jan 23, Name not displayed, Cape Verde
Hello we are 5 grade 5 students and best friends.We care deeply about the envirment and we hope it is not distroyed.We hope everyone relizes what the are doing to it and change their ways.Stop the maddness!!!!!Sincerely,Victoria,Sydney,Zoey,Jenna & Karissa

# 8,134:

3:44 am PST, Jan 22, Annie Outram, United Kingdom

# 8,133:

1:47 pm PST, Jan 20, Debbie Wong, Canada

# 8,132:

1:07 am PST, Jan 20, Kacey Wood, Canada

# 8,131:

5:19 am PST, Jan 9, Terri Graham, Canada
We have done enough damage to our world, it is time to reverse our effects on it not continue to destroy it!!!!

# 8,130:

9:02 pm PST, Jan 4, Cheryl M, Canada
Forests are home to millions of creatures, the ones we see and the ones we don't. I don't want to live a life that any animal becomes extinct!!! Don't ALLOW it to happen. You have the power.

# 8,129:

4:49 pm PST, Dec 30, Trevor May, Canada

# 8,128:

10:26 pm PST, Dec 29, Kyley H, Maine

# 8,126:

2:06 pm PST, Dec 18, ANdrea House, Georgia

# 8,125:

1:21 am PST, Dec 17, Terry Kellington, Canada
The human population is increasing at an exponential rate. We need a healthy habitat/planet for all living organisms for our survival and physical and mental well being. Alternative energy sources that do not increase greenhouse gases (CO2, etc.) must be developed. Oil and destruction of Boreal Forests is not the answer.

# 8,124:

11:34 am PST, Dec 2, Name not displayed, Canada
Protect our forest so future generations don't have to be told about what used to be, but instead can see what still is.

# 8,123:

1:42 pm PST, Nov 20, Joscelyn Poirier, Canada

# 8,122:

9:03 pm PST, Nov 18, Leslie Amundson, Canada

# 8,121:

1:01 pm PST, Nov 4, Leontien Toussaint, Netherlands

# 8,120:

3:20 pm PDT, Nov 2, Emma Sutton, California

# 8,119:

1:18 pm PDT, Oct 27, Brittney Cole, Nevada
This infuriating massacre of the animals and the trees in the Boreal Forest is both depressing and a horrid thought. Please stop killing things.

# 8,118:

2:20 pm PDT, Oct 26, Sebastien Duyster, Netherlands
Please preserve this important ecological forest. This forest is not yours to sell, it has been there long before you and please make sure it will be there for our future generations.

# 8,117:

12:00 pm PDT, Oct 18, Crissy Baker, Florida

# 8,116:

7:17 pm PDT, Oct 14, Jay Fizgerald, Canada
in the village without dogs........... the fox is overseer.....

# 8,115:

7:35 pm PDT, Oct 12, Jessica Evans, Canada

# 8,114:

3:51 pm PDT, Oct 8, Name not displayed, Canada

# 8,113:

6:09 pm PDT, Oct 6, Leanne Kalusik, Canada

# 8,112:

10:51 am PDT, Oct 5, Name not displayed, Canada

# 8,111:

7:48 pm PDT, Sep 25, Catherine Godfrey, Canada

# 8,110:

6:26 am PDT, Sep 25, Ken Miller, Canada

# 8,109:

6:14 am PDT, Sep 25, Name not displayed, Canada
If measures are not put in place to protect our forests, wildlife and vegetation which grows nowhere else will be destroyed. The trees provide us with oxygen; without them, we can't breathe. There are very few natural, untouched areas left in Canada. Leave what's left alone!

# 8,108:

5:11 pm PDT, Sep 19, Mona Helcermanas-Benge, Canada
We all, as members of an evolved society, have a responsibility to protect the environment that provides us with the air, the water and the food we need to survive. You as elected officials have an even stronger responsibility to ensure that those among us who have more self-centred concerns cannot destroy what future generations require to live. I ask you to please do what is right and not what the industries concerned want you to do. Their interests are not based in democratic prinicple but yours are or you should not be there. To date, Environment assessment regulations are just so many empty words. You can fix it and protect the North American Boreal forest or you can leave a legacy of rich oil industry bank accounts and more environmental destruction. The responsibility and the choice is yours. I will watch with interest as will so many others. Sincerely Mona Helcermanas-Benge West Vancouver, BC

# 8,107:

2:01 pm PDT, Sep 18, Thomas Poeschel, Missouri

# 8,106:

11:36 am PDT, Sep 18, Kyna Crain, Montana

# 8,105:

4:52 am PDT, Sep 14, Carlie Watt, Florida

# 8,104:

9:50 am PDT, Sep 13, Lisa Harrell, Kentucky

# 8,103:

12:42 am PDT, Sep 13, Name not displayed, California

# 8,102:

3:29 pm PDT, Sep 11, Teresa Ellett, Texas
The endangered wildlife needs protection , and all natural resources to survive... all over the world.

# 8,101:

10:32 pm PDT, Sep 9, Leah Speller, Canada
The Canadian Boreal Forest is a renewable, sustainable source of life if we treat it wisely. Trees cannot be manufactured in China, and they belong to the people of this beautiful nation. I am proud to call myself a Canadian, and privileged that my country is not war torn and there is no reason to stand silently by and allow it to become a ravaged wasteland. The government's job is to protect the people's interests, our land needs those forests to survive and so do we. Stop destroying the abundance of natural resources in our country to pacify consumer ideals!

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Protect North America’s Boreal Forest

This petition has been closed.