--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outdoors enthusiasts have a friend in MP; Federal caucus created to work on wildlife issues

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Andrew Gold wrote the song, Thank You For Being A Friend, I doubt very much if he was thinking about the millions of Canadian anglers and hunters, or any outdoor fraternity for that matter.

However, nowadays if outdoors enthusiasts start singing or humming the tune, many of them are thinking of Saskatchewan Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz. Yes, they finally have a friend in the federal government.

I'm not just talking about his championing the drive to abolish the toothless financial boondoggle known as the long-gun registry. No, that's just one of the battles that the federal representative for Yorkton-Melville riding is fighting.

More importantly, Breitkreuz -- born and raised on a farm and a hunter/angler himself -- knows that the Canadian outdoor fraternity has many vital interests that need to be recognized, promoted and, above all, protected.

That's why in March he sent a letter to his fellow members of parliament and members of the Senate inviting them to join a newly created, non-partisan outdoor caucus and work on the issues from the inside.

Issues like realizing there is relentless incremental damage to natural habitat -- forest, water and fisheries -- through conversion of our natural areas to urban areas, industries, roads and industrial agriculture.

Case in point, according to Ducks Unlimited Canada: More than 70 per cent of Canada's wetlands have disappeared.

And how about recognizing the role hunting plays in wildlife management in the face of such ill-conceived government initiatives as the cancellation of the spring bear hunt?

It's my belief that contrary to its intent, eliminating the hunt has actually increased the number of orphan bear cubs because it allowed dominant male adults to take over traditional feeding grounds, forcing mother bears closer to urban environs where they are either shot or trapped.

Meanwhile, world leaders have recognized invasive species as one of the most serious threats to our health and to ecological well being since the early 1990s. But there has been a dismal lack of action from the federal government.

Hopefully the caucus can start by ensuring that at the very least, the Parliament Hill alumni guarantee its share of stable, long-term funding of the Canadian portion of the Sea Lamprey Control Program.

The list goes on and I'm not saying that others haven't tried. Groups like the Canadian Wildlife Federation, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Canadian National Sportfishing Foundation and many others have strived to accomplish this for decades. However, they all have one thing in common.

As commendable as their efforts are, and as much as they do accomplish, they don't work on the inside -- the inside of the government.

That's where Breitkreuz says an outdoor caucus can provide a forum where information based on sound science can be shared with politicians.

In his letter, Breitkreuz stated, "There are approximately five million Canadians who participate in these outdoor activities and they have given our country a conservation legacy of which we can be very proud."

Like being proud of the fact that, according to the Canadian Wildlife Service, hunters alone have contributed $225 million in volunteer donations of time and money to enhance and protect natural resources between 1990 and 2005. Or the fact that, according to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, hunting and fishing contributes more than $3.5 billion to the Ontario economy each year and supports more than 30,000 jobs.

Within a week of Breitkreuz's letter going out in mid-March, 10 MPs had jumped on board. And by Thursday of this week, the number had grown to 71 members of parliament and senators -- from all four political parties -- and representing ten provinces and one territory.

The founding meeting of the caucus will be held Tuesday, June 6 on Parliament Hill, but the caucus isn't waiting until the last minute to formalize a game plan.

Last month Breitkreuz and Larry Bagnell (Liberal,Yukon) met with their Washington, D.C.-based U.S. counterpart -- the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus -- to see how the American caucus and the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation work together in serving as the sportsmen's voice in the political arena.

Will Breitkreuz's brainchild ensure recognition, promotion, and more importantly, protection of the lifestyle choices of the millions of Canadians who enjoy fishing hunting, trapping and many other outdoor activities?

Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: We now have a real friend in Garry Breitkreuz.

outdoorswithbill@rogers.com