Can I ask this, then, of both you and the geomapping representative, Mr. Ferguson.
Professor E.O. Wilson from Harvard has been calling, for almost 15 years now, for a biological survey of the planet. This country has been mapped more or less through the Geological Survey of Canada. There continues to be a strong push for the mapping of more traditional natural resources. His thinking is that a country that does not map its biodiversity, for example, is a very foolish country; that a country that does not understand that soils take 100 years to produce one inch of topsoil, that is not monitoring the extent of its soils and the health of its soils and doesn't treat it as a natural resource, is a foolish country.
Mr. Ferguson, I've been looking through your material, and, Dr. MacLean, your presentation, and I haven't seen anybody talk about it. Does this country need a biological survey of Canada? Do we not need to be able to take a snapshot in time to find out where we're going, what's happening with biodiversity, what's happening with species at risk, particularly in the context of the fragility of the northern ecosystems where we have species that are so much at risk?
Mr. Ferguson.