VOICES OF EXTINCTION

Is the restoration of habitat through the return of an indigenous endangered species (swift fox) unimportant in our world?

Let the voices speak, listen to them, decide and act, the future of wilderness and its inhabitants is in your hands.

Extirpated (extinct) in Canada 1978, Reintroduced in Canada (1983 – 1997), Endangered in Canada 1998

The 34 year story of the return of the once extirpated (extinct over its Canadian range) swift fox to its native habitat on the northern Great Plains of North America is a twisted skein made up of a multitude of wildly different threads. Threads of history, spirituality, legislation, altruism, ambition, paternalism, cultural misunderstandings, cultural renaissance, and exploitation twined about a cause, the determination of a pair of pensioners, Miles and Beryl Smeeton, to return this smallest and most social of North America’s fox species, the swift fox, back to its native land in Canada.

 

Is the swift fox the “trickster” of myth, not the coyote?

Has the swift fox in a “trickster” guise created the strange tale related below ?

For more than 7,000 years the indigenous peoples of the western prairie have revered the swift fox, burying their dead with grave goods of native copper, red ochre, beads, points and swift fox bones. “The bones and earth were deeply stained with red ochre and there were a great many grave goods. Accompanying the human remains were…rolled copper, beads and bones, mostly those of the swift fox, a species now extinct in Canada” excavation, Bracket Cairn, SK.

Until 1750, the swift fox, Vulpes velox, was an integral part of the prairie landscape, its range stretched from the banks of the North Saskatchewan River to the Texas panhandle, and from the eastern foothills of the Rockies to the Red River valley, Manitoba, and into Illinois.

Found only in North America, the smallest of the foxes, swift fox were a plentiful, social species of great spiritual and cultural importance to the indigenous Tribes of the Plains, most of whom had Swift Fox Warrior societies, and all of whom once shared its range. The land, water, plants and animals of the prairies were a source of survival for the plains Tribes, their home, their larder and medicine chest, their Wal-Mart, their Church.

I am the swift fox,

I live in uncertainty

If there is anything difficult

If there is anything dangerous to do

That is mine

Sioux Swift Fox Society song.

 

The European invasion and settlement of North America brought with it a people determined to eradicate indigenous species and peoples in order to create a transformed, non-native and more European landscape of ranch, city, and cropland. In a brief 200 years of European settlement everything changed on the western prairies.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the great Plains were one of the richest wildlife areas in the world, but by 1880,almost all the wolves, buffalo, whooping crane, passenger pigeon, bear, antelope, prairie chicken of the great plains were known to have vanished…and those were just the noticeable (or edible) species.

“I reached some plains so vast that I did not find their limit …..although I traveled over them for more than 300 leagues…I found such a quantity of cows (buffalo) …that it is impossible to number them, for while I was journeying through these plains, until I returned to where I first found them, there was not a day that I lost sight of them..”  Francisco Vasques de Coronado, 1541

“The whole Western country went buffalo wild. It was like a gold rush. Men left jobs, businesses wives and children, and future prospects to get into buffalo hunting. They sold whatever they had and put the money into outfits wagons camp equipment rifles and ammunition” Frank h mayer, the buffalo Harvest

By 1884 the buffalo was extirpated from the northern great plains.

The smaller animals, like the swift fox, or birds, reptiles, amphibians, disappeared from their native range, for the most part, without their passing being noted

 

1800:   Alexander Henry, fur trader. “ They (swift fox) are one of the most common fur animals of the Red River Valley”.

1833     Prince Maximillian (Wied, 1839 – 1841, Bd.2, p.37, 1841)“ The little prairie fox is so hungry and therefore so tame, that it often visits the environs of the Fort, and we found these pretty little animals among the circles of turf left on the removal of the Indian tents.  Here they remain in the daytime and at nightfall collect and look for the remains of provisions in the neighborhood of buildings. Our dogs frequently pursue them, but their extreme swiftness enables them to escape and retreat to their burrows, where they are easily caught by setting snares.’

On his return trip down the Missouri River to Fort Clark (Wied, 1839 – 1841, Bd.2,pp. 256 – 258, 1841) brought one of these little foxes with him as a pet, and gave an interesting account of its habits.  At one time, he says:

“ During the night we were disturbed by a great number of rats, and I placed my little tame prairie fox in the loft where the corn was kept and there he did excellent service. This pretty and very tame little fox  afforded us much amusement during the long winter evenings.  He was nearly a year old but always glad to play with anyone. Would scratch or pat one on the clothing with his paw as he came quickly by and then make great bounds into the air as if he were pouncing upon a mouse or a rat.  He was very cunning and noticed everything and was delighted to be petted and stroked.  He would often take some object in his mouth, and would shake it and carry it about, dash away, hide it, and look roguishly with head on one side,  then come bounding back with all sorts of antics.  We taught him to shake hands like a little dog, and he always offered his paw when he wanted to be rubbed or petted. To rest he would roll up in a heap and cover his nose and face with his bushy tail.In cold weather he would get so close to the fire that he burnt of much of his fur.  He ate little but drank often though only a little at a time.  He was very fond of rats and mice, and as with all such animals, caught them by the head.  He usually chewed like a cat on one side of his mouth, using the sharp-edged molars, then licked his lips and usually one little paw.  When no longer hungry he would bury the rest of his prey in the ground or in a corner, push it down with his nose, and cover it exactly as do others of the dog kind. His voice was a very loud bark, repeated  three or four times in succession.  It was very similar to that of a European fox, but louder and rougher. It has a wonderful ring to it and one is astonished to hear such a loud voice from such a tiny animal.”

Late in the Fall (October 31^st) Maximillian ((Wied, 1839 – 1841, Bd.2,pp. 47 – 49, 1841) reported and abundance of buffalo berries, which, after the frosts, were very palatable.

“ With this fruit we refreshed our bears and my little fox, to which they offered and agreeable variety in their food”

1856:   Mead reported “ there were foxes living on the plains with the wolves, called “swifts’ from their remarkable speed. They lived in pairs… No other foxes were found on the Plains.”

1874    Allen “these graceful little animals (swift fox) are still more or less abundant”

1889    Baker  “the swift fox was…very numerous until within the past five years, now rarely seen. It lives in shallow burrows on the open prairie”

1900    Seton “ …they (swift fox) are rapidly disappearing over a large part of their range and, if doomed to extinction, it is important that a closer study be made of their home life before it is too late”

 

By 1950 the swift fox was extinct over much of its North American range, and where it still occurred the species was reduced to occupying 10% of its historic range in the USA (US Federal Register 1995)

“There is no survivor, there is no future, there is no life to be recreated in this form again. We are looking upon the uttermost finality that can be written, glimpsing the darkness which will not know another ray of light. We are in touch with the reality of extinction” Henry Hough

By 1978 swift fox were classified as extinct in Canada (COSEWIC 1978) and extirpated over 90% of their historic range in the USA.

It is self evident that, when a sociable species has been reduced to a fraction of its numbers and extirpated over most of its range, time is no longer on its side. The ever lengthening parade of extinct wildlife, some of whose last lonely representatives have died in captivity, demonstrates this truism. For the swift fox, by the 1970’s, it was clear that extinction was inevitable unless powerful and constructive action was taken immediately

In 1972, Miles & Beryl Smeeton, Alberta ranchers, decided to take that action.

The Smeetons decided to attempt to restore the vanishing prairie ecosystem by founding an organization, now the Cochrane Ecological Institute, CEI, devoted to restoring the prairie by breeding and reintroducing the swift fox back onto its native habitat in Canada. The CEI was then, and is now, the only organization in Canada undertaking this work,To find out if it is possible to restore degraded native habitat as well as repair the cultural and spiritual life of an aboriginal people through the return of a sacred, and extirpated, indigenous carnivore, speculation, theory and computer modeling is insufficient. To ensure the long term survival of the swift fox in the northern great  plains it was essential to gather scattered individuals together and to breed them with the intention of reintroducing them back into their native ecosystem.

1972    Miles Smeeton “Whether it is feasible to reintroduce an animal (swift fox) that has become extinct through the spread of civilization is questionable, but that is what we hoped to discover. Very little is known about swift foxes, and they have a poor record of breeding in captivity: nevertheless, we intended to breed them and one day release them in their natural environment. Had we understood all the problems and work involved…we might have thought twice about the project..”  The Smeetons paid, out of their pensions for this swift fox captive breeding project..

As a result of the Smeetons initiative, 841 Canadian swift fox, bred at the CEI, were reintroduced to Canada (1983 -1997) and 123 into the USA (1998 – 2002).

1980/81 saw the transferal in the Fall, 1980, of CEI swift fox to the University of Calgary’s “soft release” enclosures in southern Alberta with the intention that, the following spring, 1981, the doors would be opened and the animals exit in their own time.

Unfortunately, Canadian Wildlife Service, CWS, and University of Calgary who were arranging the reintroduction, had failed to obtain requisite permits (Alberta Wildlife Act) from Government of Alberta, so the release was stopped and no release permitted until 1983 (Reynolds 1983).

Meanwhile, a decision was made to maintain the swift fox in the soft release enclosures until the inter-governmental problem was solved. Solving the problem took 2 years.

During that time the foxes had to be maintained, an effort expensive in manpower as the enclosures on the release site were isolated. To reduce the time spent, it was decided that the foxes would be fed carcasses, or portions of carcasses, on a weekly basis rather than small amounts of meat on a daily basis.

This feeding protocol (using large amounts of meat) attracted ravens and hawks. The birds flew into the enclosures to take meat. The feeding protocol also attracted coyotes who picked up and ate meat dropped by the birds. A “spin” was put on this, associating the use of soft release methodology with predator attraction, not, as was more probably the case, with the feeding protocol employed.

The swift foxes ignored the permit question and dug out of enclosures and known recruitment was equal to known loss.

The first “official” swift fox reintroduction in Canada took place in 1983. The management of swift fox reintroduction was entirely in federal and provincial government hands, the CEI had no input once the swift foxes left CEI property

1989 In April, the National Swift Fox Recovery Team was formed under RENEW (Recovery of Nationally Endangered Wildlife).  Neither the Smeetons, nor any representative from the Charity they founded, were invited to join the swift Fox recovery team.

The Swift Fox Recovery Team set out to develop options and a management strategy. Their options were:

• Option 1: Phasing out programme, immediate disposal of captive colony. rejected in part, by the Team, because of “loss of favorable publicity for Agencies ( Carbyn et Al.Swift fox interim Management plan, 1991, unpublished report)
• Option 2: Recovery/feasibility Plan. Continue current attempt at reintroduction over the next 3 years. Assume recovery may not be feasible, Evaluate programme.
• Option 3: Recovery Plan. Same as Option 2, but assumes Recovery is feasible.

Soft release methodology was discounted, and replaced by hard release methodology. See illustration.   

The Hard Release protocol developed specifically stated : “Forcibly ejecting foxes from their container is to be avoided”(Carbyn et Al.Swift fox interim Management plan, 1991, unpublished report)

Examination of  accompanying illustration will show that this protocol was not followed by government agents releasing foxes (photo G. Scotter, CWS, Publication Alberta’s Watchable Wildlife, Govt. of Alberta).

1991 The national Swift Fox Recovery Team approved the decision that captive-breeding of swift fox for reintroduction was to be “phased-out “by 1997, the annual reintroduction of captive-bred animals would be replaced by annual releases of swift fox trapped in the USA. Justification for this decision was that wild US swift fox were cheaper and ‘better than” home grown Canadian swift fox.

This decision would also save the government $9,000 per year which is what they had been contributing up to 1991, but this funding ceased in 1991, although the foxes remained the ‘property” of the federal government. The total cost of maintaining the captive colony of 25 productive pairs of swift fox was $ 69,000 per year.

This 1991 decision was not based upon knowledge of survival, breeding success, or numbers of swift fox in Canada in 1991, as that information was not available (no swift fox census was undertaken in Canada until the winter of 1996-1997). 

The federal government intended to stop its involvement in all captive breeding programmes (whooping crane, peregrine falcon, swift fox) by 1997 and so the national Swift Fox Recovery Team decision harmonized with a policy decision already made by the Federal government. (supporting documentation of these statements can be obtained from the federal & provincial governments or the CEI)

An agreement, (1993 – 2000) was made between CWS and US government (State of Wyoming) for the trapping and translocation, for annual release in Canada up to and including 2000, of 150 wild swift fox.

This was very odd because at that time: 1993, the US Federal Government had posted this finding in the US federal Government’s Federal Register:

“The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces a 60 – day finding for a petition to list the swift for (Vulpes velox) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. After review of all available scientific and commercial information, the Service finds that listing this species is warranted...”

US Federal Register June 1, 1994 (59 FR 28328)

“The environment is our only life support system. As we approach the twenty-first century, however, there are indications that we a severing this lifeline.” State of the Environment Reporting Branch, CWS

there 20 years to play with.

2002 Canada’s Species At Risk Act, SARA was proclaimed.

“Recognizing that…Wildlife, in all its forms, has value in and of itself and is valued by Canadians for aesthetic, cultural, spiritual, recreational, educational, historical, economic, medical, ecological and scientific reasons, Canadian wildlife species and ecosystems are also part of the world's heritage and the Government of Canada has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Biological Diversity, the Government of Canada is committed to conserving biological diversity and to the principle that, if there are threats of serious or irreversible damage to a wildlife species, cost-effective measures to prevent the reduction or loss of the species should not be postponed for a lack of full scientific certainty,the conservation efforts of individual Canadians and communities should be encouraged and supported, the traditional knowledge of the aboriginal peoples of Canada should be considered…” (preamble, Species At Risk Act, 2002)

How will these intentions be carried out by the Responsible Ministries, Environment Canada, CWS,  Parks Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, DFO, under SARA? 

Let a representative from the Responsible Ministries tell you:

“I think it worth bearing in mind that the Act (Species At Risk Act, Canada) speaks to the legal responsibilities of federal responsible agencies (CWS, Parks, and DFO) to write recovery strategies there is no legal accountability to implement it (sic).” Pat Fargey, Parks Canada,  Co-Chair Swift Fox Recovery Team, March 22, 2005

So who will implement the Recovery strategies which the responsible ministries have legal accountability to write? Let a representative from a Responsible ministry tell you:

"Of course if is a well written plan it should guide the priorities for many years and the conservation community will look for ways to implement it"

Pat Fargey, Parks Canada, Co-Chair Swift Fox Recovery Team, SFRT, March 22, 2005 (my underline)

2001 – 2002 The Blood (Kainai) Tribe  and the CEI applied for funding to

·        undertake a biophysical survey (flora & fauna) of the tribal land (something not done before)

·       undertake a literature search to obtain all historic and current data on the flora and fauna of the area

·      to initiate training programmes for blood Tribe beneficiaries,

·      to employ the trained Blood tribe beneficiaries in the reintroduction programme,

·      to maintain the swift fox captive colony,

·      To obtain the radio telemetry and GIS equipment needed for the programme,

·      to work with Red crow Community College traditional land Use department in the collection of Aboriginal traditional knowledge

·      Research and obtain all requisite permits

·     to reintroduce the swift fox

·     to monitor the swift fox post release

This grant application process was finally successful, in that we got one year’s funding ( from April 1, 2003) from environment Canada and additional funding from the Alberta EcoTrust foundation. Things were looking good!

Because the field season starts early we started work, listed above, on the promise of money, not after we had received the cheque.

2003 Watch what happens next:

“Congratulations to your organization o the recent (2003) approval of funding (one year)..for your “Stewardship through Restoration –Blood Tribe Swift Fox project”….This Nature project clearly demonstrates your organizations commitment to preserving our environment, and I am very pleased to have your organization help us in our efforts. You are to be commended…” David Anderson, P.C. M.P. Minister of the Environment.

“It gives me great pleasure to congratulate the Cochrane Ecological Institute on receiving funding from Environment Canada….it is only through the efforts of individual Canadians and groups like yours, that we can expect to find lasting solutions to the environment.” Ann Mclellan, MP

However, despite funding being approved, Environment Canada’s allocated funds did not materialize by April 1.

Alberta Ecotrust foundation did come through with their promised funds. We had to keep supplying Environment Canada with more supporting information, until, at last, in July 2003, we were told that we had satisfied all their demands and the money would be released to us.

Then what happened?

 

Well, first we have to revisit the Species At Risk Act, SARA:

Are all the stated intentions of SARA being supported?

·        "the traditional knowledge of the aboriginal peoples of Canada should be considered…” (preamble, Species At Risk Act, 2002)

Listen to the Tribe:

“Due to the traditional relationship that evolved and became established between Kainaiwa (the Blood Tribe) and, what is now known as the swift fox, prior to European encroachment on traditional Kainaiwa territory, and the cultural and ecological significance of this relationship, Kainaiwa (the Blood Tribe) is offering its full support of this initiative and are intent on being fully involved throughout the reintroduction process” Elliot Fox. Director, Blood Tribe Land Management 2004

Then listen to Indian and Northern Affairs, Canada

“…reintroducing the swift fox back on to the Indian Reservation is like putting in a septic tank. Under section 28/2 of the Indian Act, the Tribe will have to have a permit from the Minister. To obtain that permit you will have undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment on the potential impact on the oil & gas industry of the reintroduction of the swift fox” (Norm Quail, Policy Interpreter, Indian and Northern Affairs, Canada, INAC, July 2003)

Section 28/2 does not refer to the reintroduction of endangered species back onto their native habitat on First Nations Land  (ref; ANNOTATED INDIAN Act, Schubernacadie Indian band – Canadian human rights commission. Supreme Court of Canada)

Allocated funding for a swift fox reintroduction on Blood Tribal Lands, Stewardship through Restoration –Blood Tribe Swift Fox project  was withdrawn by Environment Canada as a result of this invocation, by INAC, of Section 28/2 of the Indian Act.

A result of this invocation of the Indian Act was, in December 2003, the unanimous passage by the Chief and Council of the Blood Tribe Administration of a Band Council Resolution (FY-03-04-9504) according to Kainayssini (a portion of which is quoted, below) in support of the swift fox reintroduction on Blood (Kainai) Tribal Lands

“WHEREAS Kainai (the Blood Tribe), through the Blood Tribe Chief and Council , governs itself according to Kainayssini, the declaration of the Elders of the Blood Indian Nation …and:

WHEREAS the Blood Tribe has existed since time immemorial and our existence has depended upon our traditional lands and resources, through which a special and sacred relationship has developed based on respect for the land and sustainability of its resources and:

WHEREAS the Blood Tribe continues to nurture and perpetuate this special and sacred relationship through the on-going and current practices of our traditional Societies….and their cultural ceremonies…and beliefs and:

WHEREAS one of the wildlife species, the Swift Fox (Vulpes velox), that is culturally significant, and with which the Bloods have developed a sacred relationship, no longer occupies the majority of its historic home range including the current land base of the Blood Tribe – the Blood Reserve – due in general to exploitation and eradication of the Swift Fox, through European settlement and colonization over the past one hundred and twenty six years and:

WHEREAS the Blood tribe has been informed and is in support of a joint proposal developed with the Cochrane Ecological Institute…where Swift Fox….will be reintroduced to the Blood reserve in suitable habitat…in and effort to bring the Swift fox back to a portion of its traditional range on the Blood reserve..”

_______________________

“The Blood Tribe has recently passed a Band Council Resolution identifying their role as lead in the release and ongoing responsibility for swift fox on the Reserve. Specifically, should the Blood tribe wish to release swift foxes onto the reserve, no permit (from the Minister) will be required. (my underline)

Despite the resolution that has been reached on the permitting matter, I wish to emphasize the concerns I have on the choice of the reserve for the reintroduction in light of the Species At Risk Act, SARA…”

(Feb 17, 2004, Dan Kumpf Acting Director, INAC)

What is a Species At Risk Act, SARA Permit issued for?

•         The activity is scientific research relating to the conservation of the species and conducted by qualified persons;

•         The activity benefits the species or is required to enhance its chance of survival in the wild “ SARA Public Registry 2005

“The area of the Blood Reserve being proposed for reintroduction of the Swift Fox consists of approximately 18,000 acres of native pasture classified as mixed-grass prairie.  Preliminary research conducted in this area in June 2000 indicated that based on various bird species present at that time, the ecological integrity of this pasture appears to have been maintained to a significantly high degree.  Also, that further research and data collection in this area (will) be conducted to determine whether appropriate measures need to be taken to ensure sustainability of this natural area in the future.” Elliot Fox, Director, Blood tribe Land Management,

The CEI holds the only captive swift fox colony in Canada and has been researching, breeding, and reintroducing, this species for 33 years. The CEI has worked in partnership with Native American and First Nation Tribes for 10 years. There is no organization more qualified to undertake this work.

The Blood Tribe and the CEI were granted a SARA permit (#02AB04) August, 2004.

The Blood Tribe and the CEI were granted a SARA permit (#02005 04Ab) in late September, 2005.

2004  July, Environment Canada finally released allocated (2003) funds for swift fox reintroduction, the biophysical survey was undertaken, and under a SARA permit (#02AR04) swift fox were reintroduced. in August 2004. These swift fox were monitored, from the date of reintroduction (a First in Canada) for 8 months, over the winter. Survival, as in the Blackfeet swift fox reintroduction, was good. Employment among Blood tribe beneficiaries increased as result of the swift fox reintroduction (2 summer jobs and 1 full time position in 2004, 3 summer jobs and 2 full time positions in 2005). The spiritual and cultural life of the Kainai was enhanced, the Swift Fox Warrior Society revived and Swift Fox Bundles repatriated from museums in the USA. Clearly the programme was working so shouldn’t the funding elliptically mentioned in SARA

·   "the Government of Canada is committed to conserving biological diversity and to the principle that, if there are threats of serious or irreversible damage to a wildlife species, cost-effective measures to prevent the reduction or loss of the species should not be postponed for a lack of full scientific certainty,

· the conservation efforts of individual Canadians and communities should be encouraged and supported” and be made available for the programme?

Without funding Canada’s only captive breeding colony of swift fox cannot continue. The loss of this colony to Canada would undoubtedly result in a “threat(s) of serious or irreversible damage to a wildlife species,” Therefore, one would expect, as the Blood Tribe and CEI did, that a request for funding top prevent  the reduction or loss of the species until the result of the 2005/06 survey were written up (August 2006) and a “full scientific certainty” known about the status of the swift fox in Canada.

But, apparently not. Requests for funding support got this response

“ I regret to inform you that all funds have been allocated (2005-06 fiscal year). ..Staff continue to be actively involved…in swift fox conservation, including the 2005-06 international swift fox census (cost $250,000)…I believe that  the international swift fox census will enable wildlife managers and other stakeholders involved with recovery efforts to determine appropriate population level and habitat-related recovery efforts” David Coutts, Alberta Minister, 2005

“ The national Swift Fox Recovery team will consider the results of the upcoming survey…to assess whether any future reintroductions are needed….the recovery team (the recovery team was not consulted, only the co-Chairs of the Team) has expressed uncertainty about reintroductions, considering it to be preferable to use wild foxes because they are likely to have a higher survival rate. (Please review RENEW Annual Report #6, quoted in this document, survival of captive-bred and wild swift foxes are both “similar”) Because of these uncertainties, I regret that I cannot commit funding for the continuation of the captive rearing facility at Cochrane for swift foxes.” Stephane Dion, Minister of the Environment, September 2005

"A new National Swift Fox Recovery Strategy is required under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and is due…in June 2006 (It is still in DRAFT format, March 2006) The current draft of this new Strategy states that a determination of whether further reintroductions are necessary will be based upon an integration of information (the results of the international swift fox survey will not be available until August 2006)…Environment Canada has not sought a source of wild foxes, because it is unknown whether further re-introductions are required. Regarding potential source of wild foxes, the Wyoming population could be a source (see quote in this document from US Fish & Wildlife Service, regarding need for swift fox and concerns about plague) Environment Canada has not sought confirmation from United States authorities that wild swift foxes will be provided to Canada, because it is unknown whether further reintroductions will be required.” Stephane Dion, Minister of the Environment, January 13, 2006

“We have three tribes right now at some stage of looking at reintroducing swift fox.  Fort Peck, Northern Cheyenne and Crow.   Northern Cheyenne and Crow may or may not get funding but are more at the stage of looking at feasibility studies and determining if they have sufficient habitat - which I think they do.  Fort Peck has been funded, completed the initial pre-trapping work and is now looking for a source of foxes.  Thus, my reason for wanting to establish contact with you. ……..With the plague issues here in the states, we may be looking at having to go to Oklahoma or elsewhere to get animals for Fort Peck.  Unfortunately, the program at Blackfeet is not yet at the point where we can obtain animals from them.  I was wondering if you might have any animals available in the future and if there is a possibility of getting some for relocation to tribal lands. Jane Roybal,Branch Chief, Tribal Assistance U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, February 2006

In addition, the Lower Brule Sioux of South Dakota have requested swift fox from CEI for their reintroduction programme.(ref. Shaun Glasser, Lower Brule Tribal Administration, S.D. USA)

To sum up:

• The statements made in the preamble, Species At Risk Act, 2002, and in the Act itself, are meaningless.
• The Responsible Ministries under SARA perceive their responsibility only to write Recovery Strategies not to implement them
• Implementation of recovery strategies is perceived to be the responsibility of  “the conservation community’ (Pat  Fargey, Parks Canada,  Co-Chair Swift Fox Recovery Team, March 22, 2005
• The goal of the approved and published National Recovery Plan for the swift Fox in Canada (Brechtel et Al 1996) was to have swift fox occupying 50% of suitable habitat in Canada. The Blood Tribe Swift fox reintroduction programme implements that goal. At present the National Recovery Strategy for the Swift Fox in Canada is in DRAFT format, unapproved and unpublished.