This week, Fundy-Royal MP, Rob Moore issued a press release opposing the expansion of Fundy National Park. The park is in his riding. Moore's position is countered by the park's Acting Superintendent Paul Perkison who says "the small size prevents us from protecting a lot of the habitat that we're tasked with protecting."

Fundy National Park, one of two national parks in New Brunswick covers 206 square kilometres, or about 80 square miles. That's not enough, scientists say, to maintain the park's ecological integrity. Perkison says expanding the boundaries would improve both the ecological integrity of the park and visitor experience.

David Coon, the Executive Director of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, was quoted as saying "Mr. Moore's comments are just boneheaded. The impossibility of maintaining the biological integrity of the park" in its current shape makes Fundy one of the most threatened in the national park system, he said.

Moore told the Times & Transcript that he wants to emphasize "the national park is a great gem to have," but that much of the Crown land surrounding the park is a gem for New Brunswickers who want to do everything from hunting and fishing to riding all-terrain-vehicles and horses in a wilderness setting. While he is "strongly in favour of making sure wild areas are protected", he is "not in favour of seeing New Brunswickers being excluded from New Brunswick's Crown lands."

It seems to be a law of nature that when people come, animals go. About 11,000 years ago, more than 130 animal species, including most large mammals, vanished from North America. Scientists are still debating the reasons but two leading suspects are excessive hunting by humans, newly arrived from the Old World and human-borne diseases. "People come and animals begin to disappear,'' says Ross MacPhee, curator of the mammal collection at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

A third cause cited for the massive extinction is climate change at the end of the Ice Age and its effect on plant and animal habitats. The combination of climate change and human impact would be especially destructive. Human contributions to global warming are already causing potentially harmful changes, threatening the survival of many animal and plant species.

Intercontinental travel rapidly spreads diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis, cholera and pandemic flu. Think of swine flu.

In the Amazon, expanding populations are cutting down rainforests where more than 600 species, including jaguars and giant otters, are now listed as endangered. In Africa, rogue hunters are slaughtering apes and monkeys to eat as "bush meat.'' In an article last month in the journal Science, Dennis Hansen, a biologist at Stanford University references the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, where the vast majority of animals have gone extinct, leaving the forests "largely populated by ghosts."

I'm not suggesting that Moore's idea of making crown land around the park more accessible to hunters, fishermen, hikers, all-terrain-vehicles and horses will produce the catastrophic outcomes of a Mauritius but I strongly suggest that he give his head a shake. Simple logic would support the notion that a bigger park, properly managed would do a lot more for habitat protection than free-ranging, all-terrain-vehicles.

Most of the park is made up of low, rounded mountains with deep river valleys and ocean cliffs. Its forest is a mixture of hardwood trees and evergreens, a mixed forest. It is a habitat for mammals such as moose, deer, beaver, raccoon, black bear, coyote, snowshoe hare, bats, red squirrel and flying squirrel and it provides habitat for the peregrine falcon and American marten. Both are endangered species. The giant tides of the Bay of Fundy also create habitats for plants and animals such as seaweed, clams, sea worms, mud shrimps, crabs, mussels, barnacles and star fish.

Fundy National Park was created in 1948 to protect the shores, hills and forests of the Bay of Fundy and to protect its natural habitats but most national parks, including Fundy are too small to protect these habitats on their own. Some areas outside the parks must also remain wild and natural. Natural forest cannot grow inside a park where there are campgrounds, cottages, a golf course, picnic areas and roads.

The biggest loss of habitat is actually happening outside the park because of forestry, farming and roads. Forest and swamp habitat is being destroyed. Animals and plants cannot move from place to place because there are highways, farms and towns in the way. We could help protect our Fundy habitat by expanding the park to protect enough forest for plants and animals to survive.

The Fundy coast area is spectacular. It should be managed in the best interests of its natural inhabitants. Mr. Moore, please take note.

W.E. (Bill) Belliveau is a Shediac resident and Moncton business consultant. He can be contacted at bill.bellstrategic@nb.aibn.com