The New Brunswick Environmental Network says it’s reeling amid news Environment Canada is withdrawing financial support of the Canadian Environmental Network after 34 years.

The New Brunswick network, which employs five, relies on the $22,000 a year it receives through the Canadian network.

The money supports services to environmental and conservation groups across the province, including communication among member groups, communications between member groups and government departments, democratic decision-making, caucus work and working bilingually.

“It’s a sad day when the federal government withdraws funding from a truly national institution such as the RCEN and its affiliates right across the country,” said New Brunswick Environmental Network chairman Randy Nason of the Grand Lake Watershed Guardians.

“When the Grand Lake Watershed Guardians began our work to protect Grand Lake, it was the NBEN who linked us up with other organizations interested in watershed protection to help us hit the ground running.”

The national network brings together more than 600 environmental groups from across the country, helping them co-ordinate services, discuss issues and participate in formal federal consultations.

Over the years, the network has helped the federal government deliver landmark policy and legislative changes to crack down on industrial polluters and protect fragile ecosystems.

The Canadian Environmental Network, which helped the government engage the public in the creation of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency as well as the adoption of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, was told by Environment Canada in May the government was expecting to renew funding of about $547,000 for the year.

The national network said the loss of funding will force it to lay off staff and temporarily close its doors after being told Thursday in a letter that its partnership with government wouldn’t be renewed.

“If we had known this ahead of time, we would have planned for a transitional period,” network chairman Olivier Kolmel said.

The government has proposed to promote more web-based consultation instead of working with the network on future consultations.

The office of Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent indicated the decision reflected the federal government’s process to manage spending and show vigilance during difficult economic times.

NDP Environment critic Megan Leslie urged Kent to reconsider the decision, describing it as a mean-spirited move to hobble conservation groups across the country.

Leslie said the arguments about saving money don’t add up in the context of the government’s liberal spending policies that allowed Treasury Board President Tony Clement and mayors in his federal Ontario riding to hand-pick millions of dollars worth of infrastructure projects, including a gazebo, without going through the normal approval process in the department.

With files from Postmedia News

via dailygleaner.com – Cuts to national green group hit close to home | By SHAWN BERRY – Breaking News, New Brunswick, Canada.