From: Penny Grey [penny@greygourmet.com] Sent: December 8, 2008 12:03 PM To: lpayette@nirb.ca Cc: Strahl.C@parl.gc.ca; Prentice.J@parl.gc.ca; DShewchuk@gov.nu.ca Subject: Re: Caribou Crisis in the Barren Lands To whom it may concern: I was saddened to hear of the plight of the caribou and further disappointed to learn of the proposed application from Uravan Minerals for development of their uranium property right on the calving grounds. If approved it will impact the caribou hugely. I am writing to suggest strongly that your review take into consideration what will happen to the caribou by this development. I think most Canadians wish to protect endangered or dwindling species and understand the value of our land left unscarred by mining developments. Please don't allow this development to go forward. Penny Grey Toronto ----- Original Message ----- From: "Philip Carter" To: "Chris Ball" ; "Peter Blakely" ; "Bousfield, Barry" ; "Bousfield, Rebecca" ; "Sally Bowen" ; "Michelle Bower" ; "Ron Bunker" ; "Bram and Carolyn" ; "Barb Carter" ; "Julie McDonald Carter" ; "Kevin Carter" ; "Jennifer Douglas" ; "Andrew Fraser" ; "Penny Grey" ; "Hewett, Robert" ; "Tim Jones" ; "Jack Marley" ; "Dan N. McGaw" ; "Brian Sharpe" ; "Marty philip Sharpe" ; "monica sharpe" ; "Toby Sharpe" ; "Barb& Jeff Smith" ; "Larry Wallis" ; "B WILSON" Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 8:42 AM Subject: Fw: Caribou Crisis in the Barren Lands > Hello...as you can read...my good buddy Al is asking for our help and > having lived up there and made his living there for the past 40 years > he is passionate about this. > How about 5 mins of your time to fire off a 2 liner??? > Thanks, > Philip > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Alex Hall" > To: > Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 12:16 PM > Subject: Caribou Crisis in the Barren Lands > > >> >> Dear Canoeing Companions: >> >> I need your help. More accurately, the Barren Lands and the caribou >> need your help; so I'm asking you for just a few minutes of your time >> to send an important email on their behalf that I guarantee will make >> a difference. >> >> The Beverly-Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board has just released >> the results of limited aerial surveys from last spring on the calving >> grounds of the Beverly Caribou Herd. This is the herd we encounter on >> our canoe trips. It's one of the four major caribou herds in the >> Barren Lands of the NWT and Nunavut. These calving ground surveys >> from last June indicate the Beverly herd has completely collapsed, >> the causes unknown. Caribou herds right across the Barren Lands have >> greatly declined in numbers, possibly the result of long term natural >> cycles, the reasons for which science still has no answers (the last >> major decline was in the 1950s). >> >> But the numbers for the Beverly herd are catastrophic. Since it was >> last censused in the early 1990s (at 276,000 animals), the Beverly >> herd's population may have dropped by as much as an astounding 98% >> (as suggested by the aerial surveys conducted last June)! Another >> very troubling statistic gathered by these surveys was that the >> number of calves per 100 cows was only one-fifth of what is >> considered normal. Hopefully, the situation isn't quite as horrendous >> as the figures suggest; there's a possibility that a greatly reduced >> Beverly herd may have temporarily joined another large neighbouring >> herd to the north---the Ahiak Herd. But this is pure speculation on >> my part. There's no real evidence for it, as far as I'm aware. >> >> This story was picked up on Monday, Dec. 1 by the Canadian Press, >> CBC, and a number of newspapers across Canada, including our national >> newspaper, "The Globe & Mail". The fate of the Beverly Herd is a >> crushing blow, but no real surprise to me because for the past three >> of four summers we have seen virtually no caribou on our canoe trips. >> For us, the Beverly herd literally disappeared off the map a long time ago. >> >> In the past few years, while caribou numbers have been dropping, >> disruptive mineral exploration activity on the calving grounds and >> post-calving areas has risen dramatically. As of this month, for >> example, there are 727 active mineral tenures (permits, claims & >> leases) on the Beverly herd's calving grounds. The only good news in >> this respect is that some major mining companies like De Beers, Areva >> and Cameco have declared they will no longer conduct activities on >> the calving grounds in Nunavut (thanks to the heroic efforts of Monte >> Hummel of World Wildlife Fund, >> Canada) because they understand the implications of this activity. >> And at the NWT Barren-ground Caribou Summit in 2007, delegates >> (significantly, mostly Aboriginal delegates) voted overwhelmingly in >> favour of establishing their first priority as "Protect the calving >> grounds in the NWT and Nunavut" and directed the Government of the >> NWT to "Meet with Nunavut to begin discussions about the protection of calving grounds" >> (the >> calving grounds of the major caribou herds are all in Nunavut). >> >> Now here is where I'm asking for your help. The Nunavut Impact >> Review Board (NIRB) is presently considering an application from >> Uravan Minerals for development of their uranium property right on >> the calving grounds of the Beverly herd just south of Garry Lake >> (Back River). This proposal before the NIRB will be PRECEDENT >> SETTING. It is essential that the NIRB send a clear signal to the >> mining industry that mineral development on the calving grounds is >> out of the question. To do otherwise is to accept the decline of the >> caribou population as unimportant to people who depend on these >> animals, both physically and culturally. These caribou provide >> millions of dollars worth of meat annually to the residents and >> user-communities in Nunavut, NWT, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Not >> protecting caribou also contradicts the broad desires of Canadians to >> see this iconic species and its habitat protected for future generations. >> >> While no one can state categorically that the decline in caribou >> numbers is a direct result of industrial activity, it can certainly >> be justly argued that their recovery will be rendered next to >> impossible if the most critical part of their habitat (the calving >> grounds) is taken over by industrial activity. >> >> I am asking you to email the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) and >> urge them to deny Uravan Mineral's application for mineral >> development (of >> uranium) on the calving grounds of the Beverly Caribou Herd (deadline >> is Dec. 12). In the North there are few voices and one voice can make >> a difference. I have direct experience in these sorts of things. >> Believe me, if the NIRB receives a dozen emails (even short ones of a >> couple of >> sentences) from people like you (and tell them where you are emailing >> them from), they will be greatly impressed. And it CAN make a >> difference. >> Trust >> me. It CAN! >> >> Please address your email to: lpayette@nirb.ca and under "subject" >> in your email type in: "Uravan Garry Lake Project, NIRB File >> 08EN037". In my email to them I also c.c.'d the appropriate Federal >> and Nunavut Government ministers as follows: Strahl.C@parl.gc.ca >> Prentice.J@parl.gc.ca DShewchuk@gov.nu.ca You may want to do >> the same. >> >> Thanks a million and it will make you feel GOOD!!!!! >> >> Alex Hall, Canoe Arctic Inc. >> >> >> >> >> >> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. 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