"Old Growth Boreal Forest". Photo by: Dr. Jim Butler.
Lawsuit Stop Logging in Wood Buffalo National Park
By Stewart Elgie
A recent court victory by the Sierra Legal Defence Fund, on behalf of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, has stopped clearcut logging in Wood Buffalo National Park.
Wood Buffalo is the largest National Park in Canada, and the second largest park in the world. It is a land of superlatives. The park shelters the largest free-roaming bison herd remaining on Earth. It is also home to two other endangered species, the whooping crane and the peregrine falcon. The park's boreal forests encircle the vast wetlands delta formed by the meeting of the Peace and Athabasca rivers - the largest inland delta in the world. In 1983, the United Nations declared Wood Buffalo Park a World Heritage Site.
But there was trouble in this paradise. A lease agreement with Parks Canada allowed CanFor to log over 200 square miles of some of the largest and oldest white spruce trees in northern Canada - trees hundreds of years old, up to four feet across and 125 feet tall. The timber supplied a mill owned by Daishowa, a giant multinational timber corporation.
Western Canada Wilderness Committee, the Alberta Wilderness Association and other environmental groups had been calling on the government for years to stop logging in the park, but negotiations with the timber companies proved fruitless. Tired of waiting for a political solution, the Sierra Legal Defense Fund (a public interest environmental law organization) filed suit to end logging once and for all. On June 8, 1992, we won; the federal court declared the logging lease illegal. Federal Environment Minister Jean Charest agreed.
The Wood Buffalo suit was the first ever to challenge development activities in any National Park. The victory sends a message that will help protect all of Canada's Parks. The creation of Canada's 35 National Parks represents the hard work and shared vision of many Canadians. These parks are our "national treasures". They are ours to enjoy, but also to protect so that our great-grandchildren may experience the pristine beauty of Canada's most spectacular natural areas.
But Wood Buffalo Park is not out of the woods yet. The damming of the Peace River in B.C has caused the Peace-Athabasca delta to begin to dry up. Over 20% of the prime wetlands have dried up since 1976. These wetlands are a world-renowned resting area for migrating birds, and provide critical habitat for buffalo and other wildlife.
The Sierra Legal Defense Fund, on behalf of several groups, is looking into possible court action to protect the park's delta. But it cannot happen without your help. Only through the generous support of caring Canadians can the SLDF continue its work. Please take a moment to send your tax-deductible donation to:
Sierra Legal Defense Fund
601 - 207 W. Hastings St.
Vancouver B.C
V6B 1H6
(604) 685-5618
Stewart Elgie is a Professor of Environmental Law at the University of Alberta Law Faculty. He received his Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School.
