I'd be happy to.
The main purpose of the round table was for the Minister of the Environment to begin pulling in ideas, suggestions, inspiration, and direction on how to move forward with a national conservation plan. The minister wanted to develop a broader consultation agenda.
There are about 20 members. We invited people from aboriginal organizations, private sector organizations like the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and the Forest Products Association, a number of environmental non-governmental organizations like the World Wildlife Federation and Nature Canada, conservation organizations like Ducks Unlimited, and academic experts such as Stewart Elgie from the University of Ottawa. It was an opportunity for them to offer their advice on how to move forward in developing this.
There were strong suggestions that we need a national program with a clear national vision. There was advice to go broad, to be innovative, to develop the existing tools and programs, to look at new programs, to think seriously about economic instruments, and to be inclusive when developing the national conservation plan.
I would characterize it as a beginning—the first of many conversations on national engagement in developing a national conservation plan.