Government of Canada,
Government of Alberta and the Calgary Zoo
enter into multi-million dollar partnership
for new program
January 23, 2014 – Calgary,
Alberta - Minister Aglukkaq has announced
a $2.1 million contribution for the Calgary
Zoo’s new captive breeding and rearing program
for the Greater Sage-Grouse. The Government
of Canada is committed to protecting and
preserving our rich biodiversity, as seen
in the $25 million/year investment for species
at risk in Economic Action Plan 2012. This
program is breaking new ground—this will
be the first time that Sage-Grouse have
been bred and raised in captivity in Canada.
This program is the
next step in a series of actions the federal
and provincial governments are taking to
protect and bring back the Greater Sage-Grouse
in Canada.
On December 4th, the
federal government published an Emergency
Order to protect the Greater Sage-Grouse
across 1700 km2 of crown lands in Alberta
and Saskatchewan. On December 20th, the
proposed Amended Recovery Strategy for Greater
Sage-Grouse was published, which outlines
the state of the species, provides information
about the species and population objectives,
and identifies new critical habitat.
Quick Facts
In 2012, there were estimated to be between
93-138 adult birds in Canada. The population
has declined by 98 percent since 1988.
The Sage-Grouse captive rearing and breeding
program will cost a total of just over $5
million over 10 years.
The Government of Canada and the Calgary
Zoo have been collaborating on endangered
species recovery for decades.
Quotes
“Our Government’s partnership with the Calgary
Zoo in a captive breeding and reintroduction
program is an important step to recovering
the Greater Sage-Grouse in Canada. Our long-term
goal is to establish a stable Sage-Grouse
population in Canada through stewardship
initiatives and partnerships.”
– The Honourable Leona
Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment, Minister
of the Canadian Northern Economic Development
Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council
“The Government of Alberta
is proud to be supporting Sage-Grouse recovery
in Alberta by contributing $2.1 million
over 10 years towards the Greater Sage-Grouse
captive breeding program at the Calgary
Zoo. This is an important partnership with
the Government of Canada and the Calgary
Zoo because together we can help to protect
the future of Alberta’s Sage-Grouse population.”
– The Honourable Robin
Campbell, Minister of Alberta Environment
and Sustainable Resource Development
“The Calgary Zoo welcomes
this joint funding on the part of the Alberta
and Canadian ministries responsible for
environmental issues. For several decades,
the Calgary Zoo has played a key role in
Canada, and globally, saving species at
risk. We are very pleased to be leading
the Sage-Grouse project with the financial
support of our provincial and federal governments.”
– Dr. Clément
Lanthier, President and CEO, Calgary Zoo
