Mr. Speaker, in 2013 Ducks Unlimited Canada will celebrate 75 years of conservation excellence, and I would like to congratulate it on this upcoming milestone.
Ducks Unlimited has worked with government on conservation programs for 25 years and has delivered measurable results, conserving millions of acres of Canadian wetlands while preserving outdoor and hunting traditions. It is also a key partner in the highly successful North American waterfowl management plan, which helped fund thousands of projects to preserve over 25 million acres across North America.
Some of the most important waterfowl migration habitats are located in southern Ontario along the Great Lakes, and the efforts of Ducks Unlimited volunteers in Ontario are appreciated in the Niagara region.
Ducks Unlimited is also part of the government's new hunting and angling advisory panel, which will help ensure our government continues to make decisions based on sound scientific advice.
Our government believes in both economic growth and environmental protection and looks forward to working with Ducks Unlimited to preserve the environment for future generations.
It is about the economy and it is about the environment. Ducks Unlimited is helping us get it right.