My understanding is that I'm here to talk primarily about migratory bird populations, and that's really the extent of my personal scientific knowledge, and the same with Dr. Reed.
Our department is responsible for the Migratory Birds Convention Act, and that's really our primary area of interest, the conservation of the waterfowl that depend on these habitats. While we understand the importance of these habitats, we don't have the responsibility directly to respond to the need to manage those habitats. We can identify the importance of doing that and work with our partners in the Cree Nation and within the provincial government, because in most cases, the habitats that our birds depend on fall under the responsibility of the provincial governments.
We would be glad to partner with these agencies, but we're not in a position to take a lead role.