When you see trumpeter swans near Comox or spot a sandhill crane in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, you take them for granted as our birds, part of British Columbia's stunning natural endowment. Yet many sandhill cranes will fly south this fall, only to perish in the Gulf oil spill, as a recent story in The Vancouver Sun highlighted (Sandhill Cranes at Risk in the Gulf of Mexico, July 7).

But the Gulf spill is not the only danger that threatens the well-being of creatures that we love to watch -- and neglect to protect. Right here in B.C., more than 1,600 species are at-risk -- including the sandhill crane and trumpeter swan. As such, it is encouraging to see that the newly appointed provincial Species at Risk Task Force will begin its important work this week.

We live in Canada's most biologically rich province. B.C. is home to 75 per cent of Canada's bird species and 70 per cent of its freshwater fish species. Some of Canada's species, such as mountain goats, mountain caribou and the Vancouver Island marmot, live only in B.C. Others, such as the migratory trumpeter swan and sandhill crane, rely on B.C. as a critical wintering ground or stopover. Every large species present at the time of European settlement -- including grizzly bears, wolverines, wolves and cougars -- is still present in B.C., with the notable exception of the Dawson's caribou in Haida Gwaii, a subspecies that became extinct in the early 1900s.

Sadly, more species are threatened or endangered in our province than anywhere else in Canada. Burrowing owls, marbled murrelets and a variety of freshwater fish are especially at risk. It is up to British Columbians to take responsibility for our natural heritage and to require passage of a provincial species and ecosystem protection act.

The projected impacts of global warming will place additional pressure on wildlife and ecosystems, many of which are already stressed and in decline, such as salmon. Human pressures on wildlife need to be reduced to ensure our ecological systems can cope and adapt in the face of climate change. We urgently need to protect the biodiversity of our province.

B.C. is one of only two provinces without any endangered species legislation. To protect the incredible wealth of diversity in our province, the B.C. government needs to enact a strong, stand-alone species and ecosystems law that will ensure wildlife protection across the province.

As B.C. mayors, we are doing what we can at the municipal level. However, provincial legislation is crucial.

This is why the municipalities of Whistler and Victoria are among 13 B.C. municipalities, to date, that have signed on to a declaration endorsing the need for a strong law to protect species and ecosystems, based on 10 key conservation principles.

It is both urgent and fitting for us to celebrate the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity in 2010 by focusing on creating strong, standalone legislation to protect B.C.'s species at risk.

It is up to all of us to ensure that the provincial government delivers on the hope proffered by the Species at Risk Task Force.

Ken Melamed is the mayor of Whistler, and Dean Fortin is the mayor of Victoria.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/wealth+wildlife+poorly+protected/3269453/story.html#ixzz0tii6WCdQ