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加拿大官民合資保育全球僅存溫帶雨林

2007年02月06日
摘譯自2007年2月1日ENS加拿大,溫哥華報導;蘇家億編譯;蔡麗伶審校

白色亞種精靈熊 照片來源: Western Canada Wilderness Committee加拿大卑詩省的官方與民間機構將共同投資1億2千萬加幣來保護大熊雨林。該雨林為地球上僅存最大的濱海溫帶雨林,其中的千年杉木林孕育了該區特有的白色亞種精靈熊、黑熊、灰熊、狼、鹿與老鷹等生物。雨林的範圍由溫哥華島北端末,向北跨越夏洛特女王海峽到卑詩省與阿拉斯加海岸線的中段,總計超過250英哩的距離。其間的山谷底下有高聳的雲杉,襯托著鮭魚悠游其中的溪流。然而在今天,將近有60%的濱海溫帶雨林受到砍伐和開發,其中大熊雨林就是佔了所剩下部份四分之一的面積。

在過去兩年中,以自然保育協會(Nature Conservancy)為首的民間保育團體籌募了6千萬加幣,以補足加國政府投入大熊雨林的保育資金。1月底,加拿大聯邦政府承諾支出3千萬加幣,這筆資金加上先前卑詩省政府所提供的3千萬,就是保育大熊雨林主要的官方支出。自然保育協會總裁兼執行長麥考米克(Steve McCormick)表示:「解決大熊雨林居民經濟的問題與解決保育的問題同等重要。」

加國官方,以及自然保育協會和美、加基金會組成的核心民間團體所提供的資金,總計1億2千萬加幣。這些由民間所提供的資源未來將投入成立保育管理和研究的保育贈予基金(Conservation Endowment Fund);而官方的資金則是供加拿大沿海原住民部族社群的經濟發展,以及永續發展的「保育、投資及獎勵行動計畫」(Conservation Investments and Incentives Initiative, CIII)所用。

Spirit Bear Rainforest Conservation Funded
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada, February 1, 2007 (ENS)

A public-private partnership has raised C$120 million to conserve part of the largest coastal temperate rainforest left on Earth. The Great Bear Rainforest with its 1,000 year old cedar trees shelters the endemic white spirit bear, black bears, grizzlies, wolves, deer, and eagles.

From the northern end of Vancouver Island, across Queen Charlotte Strait, and up the central coast of British Columbia to the Alaskan border, the Great Bear Rainforest stretches more than 250 miles. Tall Sitka spruce trees fringe streams on valley bottoms where salmon still run.

Today, nearly 60 percent of the world's coastal temperate rainforests have been logged or developed. The Great Bear Rainforest represents one-quarter of what remains.

Over the last two years, the Nature Conservancy and its partners have raised C$60 million to help leverage matching funding from governments in Canada for conservation in the Great Bear Rainforest.
Late in January, the Canadian federal government committed C$30 million for work in the rainforest. Those funds, combined with C$30 million previously committed by the provincial government of British Columbia, make up the public funding component of the Great Bear Rainforest project.

“The economic challenges facing the people of the Great Bear Rainforest are as important to address as the area’s conservation challenges,” said Steve McCormick, president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy.

Together, the commitments from the governments and the private support raised by the Conservancy and a core group of U.S. and Canadian foundations will create two public-private funds totaling $120 million.

The contributions of the foundations and environmental groups will provide an endowment fund for conservation management and research projects to be known as the Conservation Endowment Fund.
Governmental funding will provide financial support for an economic development fund for Coastal First Nations communities and for sustainable development initiatives known as the Conservation Investments and Incentives Initiative, CIII.

全文及圖片詳見 ENS報導

作者

蔡麗伶(LiLing Barricman)

In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.