Members of Spuzzum First Nation are 害羞草研究所渇urious害羞草研究所� after the federal government reversed course on an emergency order to protect the endangered northern spotted owl.

Spuzzum Chief James Hobart said his nation害羞草研究所檚 anger comes after the Canadian Wildlife Service, a branch of the Department of Environment, informed him that the federal government would not carry out an emergency order to prevent logging in two watersheds in the Fraser Canyon.

害羞草研究所淐anada got it wrong. They followed the cue of the B.C. government and yet it doesn害羞草研究所檛 have a credible plan when it comes to the spotted owl nor proper consultation with First Nations about what happens in the owl害羞草研究所檚 habitat,害羞草研究所� sad Spuzzum First Nation Chief James Hobart. 害羞草研究所淭he province害羞草研究所檚 own logging agency, BC Timber Sales, continues to tell companies it害羞草研究所檚 business as usual and they can cut old-growth even in areas targeted for deferrals, that it害羞草研究所檚 up to them to decide. B.C. has turned its back on the last spotted owl.害羞草研究所�

Earlier this year, the Federal Minister of Environment Steven Guilbeault said that he would recommend the emergency order to cabinet to protect the spotted owl from imminent threats to its recovery and survival.

However, in a letter announcing the reversal, the federal government is instead endorsing 害羞草研究所渁 collaborative approach害羞草研究所� with the Province and Indigenous communities after considering factors such as 害羞草研究所渟ocio-economic and legal impacts.害羞草研究所�

The decision comes after an eight month delay, from Guilbeault, to make an emergency order recommendation to cabinet. In January of this year, after Wilderness Committee (WC) petitioned Guilbeault in October 2022, the minister determined that the 2,500 hectares of spotted owl habitat was at risk of being logged within the year. The logging, which takes place in the Fraser Canyon, poses a threat to the bird害羞草研究所檚 wild population recovery 害羞草研究所� which Guilbeault acknowledged.

Despite this, the WC said that Guilbeault 害羞草研究所渇ailed to make an emergency order recommendation to cabinet for eight months,害羞草研究所� forcing them to launch a court case in June to challenge the delay.

Now, after the cabinet害羞草研究所檚 decision, WC 害羞草研究所� represented by Ecojustice, an environmental law charity 害羞草研究所� is heading to court next Wednesday (Oct.18) to determine if the minister害羞草研究所檚 delay in recommending this emergency order to cabinet is permitted under the federal Species at Risk law.

害羞草研究所淭he minister has been required by law since January to recommend an emergency order,害羞草研究所� said Ecojustice lawyer Andhra Azevedo, who is representing WC 害羞草研究所淚nstead, the minister spent months 害羞草研究所榚ngaging害羞草研究所� with B.C., while B.C. made no new commitments to protect habitat and instead continued to approve logging. To state the obvious, we have emergency orders under the Species at Risk Act to respond to emergencies 害羞草研究所� what we害羞草研究所檝e seen by the minister and now cabinet is nowhere close to an emergency response.害羞草研究所�

Currently there are three spotted owls, two males and one female, in the Fraser Canyon. The female was born in the wild. Meanwhile the males, named 害羞草研究所榮铆tist害羞草研究所� [te-syst] and 害羞草研究所榳铆kcn害羞草研究所� [week-chin], were released on July 25 into the protected habitat in the Fraser Canyon.

Their release, the second to take place, is part of a partnership between the province害羞草研究所檚 Spotted Owl Breeding and Release Program and Spuzzum First Nation, to help recover the wild northern spotted owl populations in B.C. S铆tist was originally released in August 2022, with two other males, as part of the program害羞草研究所檚 first release. Unfortunately, he was later found injured near train tracks in the Fraser Canyon. After being rehabilitated by the Orphaned Wildlife Society, he was returned to the program害羞草研究所檚 breeding facility in Langley.

Later, in May of this year, ministry staff confirmed that the two other males had died from unknown causes.

The spotted owls, who are known in Spuzzum害羞草研究所檚 language as Skel煤le? (Northern Spotted Owl is the name given by settlers of Canada), are seen as important relatives of the First Nation community, whose 害羞草研究所減resence are indicative of the health害羞草研究所� of the 害羞草研究所渞egion害羞草研究所檚 old-growth forests becasue of its independence on their ecosystems for survial.害羞草研究所�

In the time leading up to the first release, the province worked with the First Nations in B.C. to protect more than 280,000 hectares of spotted owl habitat in the Cascade region under the Spotted Owl Management Plan 害羞草研究所� a territory that can support 250 owls. And, in hopes of supporting their population害羞草研究所檚 recovery, an old-growth logging ban was also extended for part of the Fraser Canyon (where the birds were released) for another two years.

Despite this, WC said that they documented sites where logging took place during the summer. And, with the emergency order rejected, it is believed that continued logging will prevent the recovery of the spotted owl害羞草研究所檚 wild population in B.C.; though the owl population faces a dire situation, Canadian Wildlife Service scientists said that the species害羞草研究所� recovery is possible through the reintroduction of the owls into the wild. However, the success of this reintroduction depends on the birds having enough of their old-growth habitat to establish a stable population.

害羞草研究所淒espite scientists and the federal environment minister identifying that B.C.害羞草研究所檚 approved logging posed an imminent threat to the spotted owl, the BC NDP government wants to continue old-growth logging and they have effectively pressured the federal cabinet to allow it,害羞草研究所� said Torrance Coste, the National Campaign Director for WC. 害羞草研究所淚f we do lose the spotted owl in Canada, responsibility will sit with Premier David Eby and B.C. ministers like George Heyman and Nathan Cullen 害羞草研究所� and the federal cabinet that went along with them.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所� With files from The Canadian Press

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