April 22, 2009 Telegraph-Journal Minister defends species bill Chris Morris Natural Resources Minister Wally Stiles says the rights and needs of people have to be factored into efforts to protect endangered species in the province. The environmental groups are concerned the new legislation would give the Minister of Natural Resources too much power to decide whether a species can be listed for special protection. "It's important that New Brunswickers know the reality of this bill before the legislature," David Coon of the New Brunswick Conservational Council said. "The endangered species list is the intensive care ward for animals and plants that are about to blink out of this province. It's their only chance for avoiding extinction. So to give the minister the power to decide which animal or plant has the privilege of getting on the list to be eligible for protection is appalling. Economic interests will always win out." Coon said a legal analysis of New Brunswick's species at risk bill by Ontario-based Ecojustice shows the province is behind other jurisdictions such as Ontario that have much stronger legislation to protect endangered and threatened species. But Stiles said the critics have an Ontario bias that doesn't reflect the New Brunswick reality. "This organization that critiqued the bill obviously likes Ontario's legislation," he said of Ecojustice. "But Ontario's law doesn't look at the socio-economic impact to begin with "¦ It doesn't take peoples' concerns or rights into consideration." Stiles said socio-economic factors must be allowed to play a role in species at risk decisions. "I think that's the way it should be." The species at risk legislation, Bill 26, was introduced into the New Brunswick legislature last year. It went through second reading in late 2008. The Department of Natural Resources is now preparing an amendment to the bill to accommodate a request for compensation for private lands affected by the act. Coon said he hopes legislators will consider further amendments to the proposed legislation, in addition to the amendment to compensate landowners.