I would be happy to start, Mr. Chair. Your question is very timely, and your observation is very accurate.
Wetlands are a tremendously underappreciated part of the ecosystem. It's really where the water and the land interact the most. In terms of habitat for fish, birds, other wildlife, water cleansing, and helping to deal with the flooding problems, it's critically important. Obviously, the development pressures, particularly in urban areas, have resulted in the loss of a lot of wetlands over the years.
A report was released on the U.S. side in November, and I think it covered the Canadian side as well, but I am not certain. It stated that the Great Lakes region was the only area where there had been an increase in wetlands over the previous five years. The Gulf coast and the Atlantic and the Pacific coasts had all continued to lose wetlands. Within the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence community, there is a much greater appreciation for this, and this is recognized in a variety of programs. There's a really conscious effort not only to prevent the destruction of additional wetlands, but to restore ones that had been harmed.