Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I thank everyone for being here today for this important study.
I think we all have the same concern, which is to preserve good jobs and the vitality of the regions, save towns and avoid closures. This is a central concern. At the same time, the threat to the woodland caribou subspecies is real. It's been documented for a long time and promises were made to deliver strategies.
I think we all need to feel a sense of urgency about the caribou, who are not at the table to express what they're experiencing and how they're feeling. I liked what Chief Dufour said about striking a balance between this sense of urgency for the species and the need to be concerned about economic development and saving jobs. I'd like to ask him a question about that.
I've recently read what a lot of biologists have to say, and they feel that the caribou species are an indicator of how healthy a forest is and how balanced its ecosystem is.
How would the potential loss of boreal caribou affect the health of our forests?