Mr. Speaker, today I would like to point out that the 25th Forestry Week, organized by forestry and geomatics students at Laval University, is being celebrated. I want to extend hearty congratulations to these young people who are concerned about making the public aware of the importance of preserving our forests.
Let us not forget that trees are among our most important natural resources. From an economic standpoint, in Quebec, forestry accounts for over 4 per cent of GDP, 15 per cent of export revenues, and over 10 per cent of direct employment. The environmental importance of the forest is beyond question: just think of its role as a CO2 trap.
Again, I congratulate the forestry students at Laval University on their initiative.