Burch urges endorsement of Ramsar designation
MPP says international recognition is about worldwide appreciation for importance of the Niagara River
Despite the reluctance of some Niagara Region councillors and Niagara Parks Commission to back a Ramsar designation for the Niagara River, Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch is asking the province for its support for the initiative.
“I hope some local politicians are not looking at this as some kind of environment versus the economy decision when actually it’s about international recognition for how important the Niagara River is and how important wetlands are. I’m completely amazed that the Niagara Parks Commission would not immediately endorse this. I don’t know what the thinking is on that. The Niagara River is the main attraction in the area for tourism,” Burch said recently.
“It’s important for protecting the biodiversity of the Niagara River as well. The environment and the economy are not opposites. We want to preserve the beauty of the Niagara River corridor and that’s important for the economy, too. But I think some local politicians are wrongheaded on this, and we need to get on the same page as
our friends in the United States and other part so the world.”
Burch was referring to a recent decision by Niagara Parks Commission opposing the endorsement of efforts to have the waterway designated as a wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention — an international treaty signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971 to promote the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.
Regional council also voted to defer making a decision on supporting a designation for the waterway, pending an independent review of any implications a designation could hold.
“To move forward, I think the biodiversity of the Niagara River corridor is something that governments not just in Canada and the U.S. but internationally want to recognize,” he said. “We’ve learned a lot in the last 10 years about how important wetlands are not only to our health, but to our economy, as well.”
Burch wrote a letter asking Ontario’s Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry John Yakabuski; Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries Lisa MacLeod; and Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Jeff Yurek to share his disappointment in the decisions of local political bodies.
“It must be stressed, that a Ramsar designation does not impose any restrictions on the management of any sites involved. It is non-regulatory and non-binding.”
He asked the provincial ministers to “join me in endorsing the Ramsar Designation of the Niagara River and support our American friends in creating the first bi-national, transboundary Ramsar site in North America.”