Thank you, Darren.
Thank you to our witnesses. It's really fabulous to have you here.
I want to jump in on what appears to me to be two levels of government going in totally different directions when it comes to increasing forest cover and increasing wetlands, etc.
On the one hand, you have our government, which has invested historic sums, $1.3 billion over five years, in protected areas and protected spaces and all different forms of terrestrial and marine areas. At the same time, our government has also for the first time opened to provincial governments, through the bilateral infrastructure deals signed with each province, natural infrastructure as a category of available federal financing. So provincial governments that choose to begin open programs that enable natural infrastructure can receive federal financing for that. It's up to the provinces.
I don't believe Ontario has gone in this direction. I'd ask for your correction if I'm not on point. But on the other hand, we have an Ontario government, provincially, that is pulling out of the business of planting trees.
I'm seeing two different directions here and I wonder if you could comment on the importance of both the federal government investing massively in conservation and in natural infrastructure, and also a tag team effort and the fact that there's a real challenge when you have a provincial government going in the opposite direction.
Maybe we could start with Mr. Keen.