保育人士發現，瀕臨絕種的斑點梟（spotted owl）位於加拿大最後的棲息地，因一個政府核准的計畫，遭到砍伐。加拿大最大的會員制荒野保育組織「加拿大西部荒野委員會」（Western Canada Wilderness Committee），要求卑斯省政府遵循其制定的貓頭鷹管理措施，停止伐木。
加拿大僅存的17隻斑點梟，全都棲息於卑斯省。貓頭鷹被聯邦政府列為瀕危物種，他們仰賴古森林棲息、築巢與覓食。其中單獨6隻及4對斑點梟仍棲息於野生地區，遠低於上個世紀商業伐林之前，當時有500對斑點梟棲息。另外，3隻單獨的斑點梟已被捕捉，投入政府人工繁殖計畫。
加拿大西部荒野委員會研究員米勒（Andy Miller）在一處鄰近潘伯頓（Pemberton）S&M河的鄉村，調查少數幾隻存留下來的斑點梟，卻發現正在進行的伐木計畫。
政府的行為與貓頭鷹管理計畫背道而馳，加拿大西部荒野委員會為了公開這件事，7日沿著綠河(Green River)的砍伐路線，在貓頭鷹森林的窩附近設立研究駐紮營。
米勒說：「我們藉由設立研究駐紮營，吸引大眾注意到，省政府批准的砍伐計畫嚴重破壞瀕臨絕種生物的棲息地。」
他又提到，「我們會照相並攝影證明道路開發、樹木傾倒及計畫砍伐區造成的每一處破壞，讓全世界都知道，斑點梟棲息地的處境非常危險。我們的目標就是終止砍伐。」
The last habitat of Canada's critically endangered Northern spotted owls is being logged in a government-approved operation, conservationists have discovered. Canada's largest membership-based wilderness preservation organization, the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, is demanding that the government of British Columbia follow its own owl management policy and call a halt to the logging.
A total of just 17 spotted owls remain in Canada - all in British Columbia. A federally listed endangered species at risk, these owls rely on old-growth forests to roost, nest and forage. Six single spotted owls and four pairs still live in the wild, down from an estimated population of 500 pairs before commercial logging began in the last century. Three single owls have been captured for a government captive breeding program.
Western Canada Wilderness Committee staff scientist Andy Miller discovered the ongoing logging operation while investigating one of the province's few remaining spotted owl sites at S&M Creek near Pemberton.
To publicize the government's violation of its own owl management policy, the Western Canada Wilderness Committee today established a research camp along the Green River logging road, in a small meadow directly adjacent to the owl's forest home.
"We are setting up the research camp to attract public attention to this BC government-approved logging operation which is damaging this endangered species site," said Miller.
"We will also be photographing and documenting on video the destruction caused by the road construction and tree felling, and each one of the planned cutblocks so we can show the world the spotted owl habitat that is at risk. Our aim is to get this logging stopped," he said.
全文及圖片詳見 ENS
作者
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.
