Keep in mind that the Bear is Linked to the Logging Industry. "Cut the forests, starve the bear" Add the hunters and you have an extinct species. Diony DeLeeuw suggests that up to 200 per cent more grizzly bears have been killed than should have been under the ministry's own sustainability guidelines. DeLeeuw is the regional habitat protection biologist for the Skeena region in Canada. This area has one of the largest concentrations of Grizzly in the world. DeLeeuw wrote a paper analyzing provincial grizzly bear management and when senior bureaucrats got wind of it he was suspended without pay and his paper has been seized. His paper was circulated among about 40 professional colleagues for discussion, but was never released outside government, say environment ministry sources. Recipients were ordered to turn it over to senior environment ministry staff. DeLeeuw was told he could not discuss his paper or its conclusions and he was suspended last week without pay. DeLeeuw confirmed the suspension Monday. March 27, 2000 "I have been suspended without pay. I cannot comment on my paper," he said. "You must talk to my superiors." Environment Minister Joan Sawicki was not available for comment on DeLeeuw's suspension and other ministry officials refused to discuss what they said was an internal personnel matter. Office: 337, Parliament Buildings Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X4 Phone: (250) 387-1187 Fax: (250) 387-1356 E-mail: Joan.Sawicki.Office@leg.bc.ca Constituency: 4732 Imperial Street Burnaby, B.C. V5J 1C2 Phone: (604) 437-5700 Fax: (604) 775-1102 Ministry Officials refused to release DeLeeuw's paper, claiming it was an internal document. An earlier paper written by DeLeeuw critiquing provincial grizzly management strategies was also confiscated by the NDP government in September of 1998.        In the past few years grizzly hunting has become an increasing hot potato for the NDP. The province has permitted trophy hunters to kill 200 to 400 bears a year and environmental groups have launched a growing international campaign to put an end to the sport hunting of these animals. One government scientist was afraid to be quoted because he said he feared retribution. Scientists are worried that political reasons will compromise independent scientific inquiry. Carl Walters, a fisheries biologist at the University of B.C., said: "If [DeLeeuw's suspension] happened this way, it is just astounding. "If there is scientific controversy and disagreement, if even one conscientious public employee sees a possible error in management policy or interpretation of data, the public needs to know." DeLeeuws suspension will surely set off a fire storm of protest. Questions: Have Canadians, in particular BCers suddenly stepped behind the iron curtain? Canadian scientists can no longer debate critical issues internally without fear of being disciplined? Does the British Columbia government think that ideas can be stopped through censorship and punishment? It sure looks like it doesn't it! Office: 156, Parliament Buildings Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X4 Phone: (250) 387-1715 Fax: (250) 387-0087 E-mail: Ujjal.Dosanjh.Office@leg.bc.ca Constituency: 4938 Victoria Drive Vancouver, B.C. V5P 3T6 Phone: (604) 322-6375 Fax: (604) 775-1097 Let your voices be heard in this matter. Being silent brings this kind of thing closer to your own life. Don't let your freedom be diminished by the people we pay to run our countries. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The rest of the story After digging around a bit we may have a few answers on just why officials want this report swept under the proverbial carpet. A Grisly Sport With A Deadly Consequence What politics and big money prospects are at play in this issue? Western Forest Products (WFP) is planning to clearcut 23 separate cut blocks in one Pooley Island watershed alone. WFP already has flagging tape up where they plan to blast and bulldoze a logging road alongside a coho salmon river. We found several bear day beds located within the logging road right-of-way. http://www.raincoast.org/cando.htm What is the Grizzly, Spirit Bear and Black Bear connection to the destruction of the Canadian Rainforest? In recent decades logging and other harmful activities have destroyed the majority of the world's coastal temperate rain forests. In B.C., two-thirds of our ancient forests are already gone. Since 1990, more than 30 previously intact rainforest valleys on B.C.'s coast have been torn open by roads and clearcuts. The destruction of these extraordinary ecological treasures must end. We must act now to protect what remains of B.C.'s ancient rainforest legacy. http://www.trees2k.org/protect.html Grizzly Bears in Canada's Great Bear Rainforest Need Your Help! Why? http://wildernesscommittee.org/greatbear/greatbear-edu99.htm#toc Of the original 353 large rainforest valleys in the Great Bear Rainforest, only 69 are still intact. Nearly all of the remaining valleys are designated for destruction in the next decade. Who's behind the ravaging of the Great Bear? The following three companies are the main culprits. To learn more about a particular company, click on its name to see the Greenpeace fact sheet. Interfor Doman Industries, Ltd. West Fraser To read case studies of these companies and their activities in a particular region of the Great Bear Rainforest, click on a link below. Interfor and Logging in the Johnston Creek Watershed Western Forest Products and Logging in the Ingram-Mooto Watersheds Patric Moore is a Big Fat Liar! Who is Patric Moore you say? http://www.fanweb.org/patrick-moore/lies.html What can you do? Make no mistake your opinion counts! So let your voice be heard. Write a letter! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~ Credits ~~~ Thank you little sis for all of your hard work and research on this.