Mr. Harris is going to be pleased, as is Ms. Bell, because I'm going to follow up on the same line of thinking, Mr. Chairman.
I'm encouraged, and I'm sure Chief Williams is encouraged.... The line of questioning is consequential, as Mr. Harris would know better than I, to the very, very serious issue that exists with the mountain pine beetle and the area of devastation that has been described. I have not been up there but I've certainly heard about it and I've seen some fly-over photographs. And the issue with respect to the province of Alberta now and its particular.... I think the committee should be encouraged that through Chief Williams, the initiative has been taken to coordinate first nations' responses to the mountain pine beetle. The line of questioning is an attempt to establish just what is available and how first nations access that, as part of a strategy.
I hope I'm not out of line on this, but I think, when we're putting our report together, the committee would like to take Chief William's testimony and build recommendations as we receive more information along the lines that Ms. Bell and Mr. Harris have questioned. I appreciate, on behalf of the committee, all of the presentations that have been made, from the mayors, Professor Asselin, and from the industry. It really reinforces what we've been told, and we're attempting to develop a strategic approach, not a one-off silo tactical approach. We're going to work on that. But I do think the committee is seized with the seriousness and the immediacy of a wildfire that could occur, with no firebreaks and on the scale that Chief Williams has noted.
Chief, if you could write a list or a program, or if you could tell us that through your organization there is a program of requests being made, that would be very helpful to the committee. Perhaps you would like to respond just for a moment, because I do feel that, further to the questions you've been asked, the researchers are going to be working closely with you and your organization. There's a very, very serious issue that needs immediate treatment.
Chief.