Thank you.
There are several reasons why we're not meeting deadlines associated with the recovery strategies under species at risk, our management plans for our protected areas, or the bird conservation region strategies. I think the most common reason across those three program areas relates to the importance of collaboration and consultation and the cooperation requirements. For example, the Species at Risk Act requires us to cooperate within the federal government, with the other federal departments, with wildlife management boards, with aboriginal communities, and any other affected person. We're required to consult with any affected land owner or other affected person.
For Environment Canada, we have two-thirds of the species that require recovery documents. The bulk of those species for us—and it's a little bit unique compared to the other two—are focused on those non-federal lands. That increases the importance of the engagement, which can actually take a fair bit of time.
I wouldn't mind sharing an example that's exceptional, but I think it can illustrate to the committee why we have a challenge. We completed the boreal caribou recovery strategy and we had two rounds of consultations with aboriginal communities. We reached out to 271 aboriginal communities. We went and received comments from 161 of those communities. That took two years to do.
In the second round of consultation, there were not quite the same numbers: 265 aboriginal communities based on what we'd learned in the first go-round and 87 communities participated. We received 42 aboriginal traditional knowledge summary reports.
We also conducted our own science. We have about 600 pages of scientific assessment to complete that recovery strategy. We have nearly 1,000 pages of aboriginal traditional knowledge. That took $3.5 million and as I say about three and a half years to complete. So we have a legal duty to consult compared to the two-year limit provided in SARA for the completion of a recovery strategy for that species.