I'm posting this appeal on behalf of the Western Canda Wilderness Committee, but I hope you appreciate that no matter where you live, this is a little part of YOUR planet and you are entitled to a say.

Please take just 5 minutes and quickly send an email to protect the old-growth forest habitat of the Spotted Owl, Canada's most endangered bird. In 1994, government biologists estimated there were over 200 spotted owls left in British Columbia. Today, only 6 pairs have been located. Unless drastic action is taken immediately, it will be the first vertebrate species in BC to go extinct as a result of logging.

Emergency Action Alert for Canada's Spotted Owl!

The BC government is getting ready to make a decision regarding habitat protection for the Northern Spotted Owl.

We say that the BC Cabinet must order the protection of all of the
remaining spotted owl forest habitat within the owl's Canadian range if this endangered species is to have any hope of survival.

Backgrounder

In October 2004, the BC Liberal government formed the Species At Risk
Coordination Office (SARCO), to develop options to address mounting
public and scientific concern about the pending extinction of a number
of BC's forest-dependant endangered species, including the Northern
spotted owl, Canada's most endangered bird species. The spotted owl is
endangered because of the logging of it's old growth forest habitat.

SARCO's options are to be presented to the BC Cabinet, who are to then
choose between the options as to what course of action to take.

In October 2005 the three members of SARCO requested to meet with
enviro-groups (like the Wilderness Committee) who are working to save
the spotted owl in Canada to show us the options they will present to
government.

At the meeting we were shocked to see SARCO's four options for recovering the spotted owl in Canada. Three of the options contained no or almost no provisions for habitat protection. If the BC government chooses any one of these three options it would be a death sentence for Canada's spotted owl population!

And, if the logging of old growth forest were to continue, not only would the owl disappear from our forests, but so would a whole host of
other forest-dependant creatures.

However, the fourth SARCO option contained a provision for protecting
all remaining forested spotted owl habitat within spotted owl range.
This option would protect about 300,000 hectares of older forests,
currently outside of parks, around the communities of Vancouver,
Mission, Chilliwack, Hope, Boston Bar, Lytton, Lillooet and Whistler.

Protecting all of the owl's remaining habitat is the only thing that can give Canada's spotted owl a fighting chance at survival.

The BC Cabinet is expected to review all four options for spotted owl
recovery this coming week, then choose one option to put into practice.

There is no time to waste!

Please send some emails today and tell the BC government how important it is to you that they protect all remaining spotted owl forest habitat from logging.

Email the Environment Minister Barry Penner at:
barry.penner.mla@leg.bc.ca

Email Premier Campbell at:
premier@gov.bc.ca

Send a copy of your email to Opposition Environment Critic Shane Simpson at:
shane.simpson.mla@leg.bc.ca

And, please send us a copy of your email for our records.
Joe@wildernesscommittee.org