The CWF and National Wildlife Federation partnership

CWF and the U.S. National Wildlife Federation work together to address climate change issues affecting wildlife

The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) and U.S. National Wildlife Federation (NWF) will work together to address joint issues of concern such as climate change, water quality and the conservation of wildlife and wildlife habitat.

“Conservation issues know no borders and neither do wildlife,” said Wade Luzny, Executive Vice-President of CWF. “We need to raise awareness, take action and develop solutions to protect vital ecosystems in Canada and the United States.”

CWF and NWF met in Banff August 7 to 10 and signed an agreement on shared approaches to joint conservation issues of concern. The U.S. National Wildlife Federation has five regional offices that share a common boundary with Canada. CWF's Western office, the B.C. Wildlife Federation and the NWF’s Northwest office also signed an agreement to develop a new educational video on salmon issues.

“There are many threats to wildlife on both sides of the border and a joint approach to conservation and education should generate a greater impact,” Luzny said.  “Species worldwide are shifting their ranges, migrating sooner, and bearing young earlier than in the past.  Both CWF and NWF want to ensure that wildlife populations and their habitats are conserved in a sustainable manner to be enjoyed by future generations.” 

 “We will work better when we work together to rescue, restore and renew wildlife resources in the face of global warming,” says Larry J. Schweiger, NWF President and CEO. “As our organizations engage on climate change together, we can help wildlife survive in a warming world.”

CWF and NWF are building on a solid foundation of decades of respect and shared expertise. As the largest conservation organizations in the U.S. and Canada, they face greater and new challenges because of climate change. These challenges include invasive species, water supplies and usage, and migratory corridors - U.S. species moving northward because of higher temperatures.

The agreements signed in Banff are more project-focused than previous work and expand the direct relationship on key issues and in key regions such as:

• Northwest office – salmon
• Northeast office – forests and wolves
• Great Lakes office: healthy waters, invasive species
• Northern Rockies: invasive species, migratory corridors
• Alaska: threats to wildlife, the opening of the Northwest Passage and community building

“The Canadian Wildlife Federation and the U.S. National Wildlife Federation share the same heart for wildlife,” Luzny says. “That’s what this partnership is all about.”

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About the Canadian Wildlife Federation:
The Canadian Wildlife Federation is dedicated to fostering awareness and appreciation of our natural world. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on the environment, sponsoring research, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, recommending legislative changes and co-operating with like-minded partners, CWF encourages a future in which Canadians can live in harmony with nature. Visit cwf-fcf.org for more information.

About the National Wildlife Federation:
The National Wildlife Federation is America's largest conservation organization inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future.
Visit nwf.org for more information.

Contact:
Heather Robison
Media Relations Officer, Canadian Wildlife Federation
(306) 585-3879 (o) or (306) 531-5791 (c)
heatherr@cwf-fcf.org