Well, thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, friends, for coming and bringing some very important information before the committee.
I just want to bring to the attention of members here that today, when I was looking at the species at risk website of Environment Canada, I saw actually a summary of the Scientific Review for the Identification of Critical Habitat for Woodland Caribou, Boreal Population, in Canada and the Working Together to Recover Boreal Caribou document, which are now published on the species at risk website. So it looks like Environment Canada is moving in that direction, and I'm sure that your organizations will be responding to the call for input on this very important issue.
I remember when I was a national park warden at Jasper. I was a back country warden at Willow Creek district north boundary. I remember riding into the Willmore Wilderness Park one day, and as I came over the crest of the hill I saw three woodland caribou down in a valley. I sat there for an hour and watched, and it was one of the better days I had as a national park warden. I remember being somewhat frustrated at the fact that this population.... It's been in decline. There is no secret about that.
This specific question is for you, Éric. As a Parks employee, it was very difficult for me at the time to bring this issue up. But if you take a look at particularly the range of the boreal caribou, we know that basically for the Howse Pass, the population there is extirpated. We know that in Banff the population is extirpated. We have recommendations here--this is a legislative review of SARA--yet Parks Canada, I believe, has a policy of no predator control; at least it did at the time when I was there.
If you take a look at some of the critical factors affecting boreal caribou, it would seem to me that some of these things within Environment Canada itself need to be addressed. I know that predator control is a sensitive issue, because obviously it irks...some of those deeper feelings. But when you have such tight ranges, such small areas as we do in our national parks, and such critical habitat, without effective management within those things....
I understand the philosophy and the ideal--I truly do--of letting natural systems take their course. I'm surprised there isn't a recommendation coming, particularly from Parks and Wilderness, along this line.
Would you care to comment on that?