Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I am sorry, but, since my French is still not good enough, I will speak in English.
I'd like to echo some of the concerns we've heard here regarding a lack of science. I'll start with the failure of the minister and officials to appear before this committee to explain the entirety of the logic behind this job-killing decree they have issued. When witnesses come here from industry and say they will have to go out of business or curtail their employment, I believe them. I don't think the government should be so arrogant to say that we don't believe them and to put our entire communities at risk.
Now, as this is the environment committee, I'd like to dive into some of the actual evidence of how this decree would work.
Ms. Simard, I think you have the closest appropriate background, so I'll begin with you regarding the caribou science. Hopefully, you can give a fairly quick answer. What would be the timeline for a forest to go from disturbed to undisturbed? Let's say we blocked off all forestry and all activity. How long would it be in years? It has to be years. As far as I know, trees don't grow fast enough for it to be anything less than years.
When would it be considered undisturbed so that we could have the decree lifted or a plan put in place?