Natural Resources committee  Two billion trees is actually about a 40% increase in the number of trees planted in Canada. The idea with the program is that these are incremental to trees that would normally be planted for regulatory requirements and those sorts of things. We're working closely with the provinces to ensure there is alignment on the goals of the program—around climate, how to tap restoration and those sorts of things—and that the trees are incremental to trees that are already being planted, in recognition of the provinces' and territories' role around the ownership and management of Crown land and tree planting.

Natural Resources committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the committee for the invitation to be here at this meeting, which is taking place on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. I'd also like to thank the commissioner of the environment and sustainable development for this audit on forests and climate change.

Natural Resources committee  Thank you for the question. One thing I would point to is the work we're doing through the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers. We recently released a renewed national forest bioeconomy strategy. I know you don't have a lot of time, but I think what's really key is making sure that we are extracting the most value per cubic metre harvested from our forests.

Natural Resources committee  Thank you. I'd be happy to. You'll also notice that there's the green construction through wood program, which was originally announced in budget 2017 under the pan-Canadian framework on climate change. This program aims at reducing the carbon footprint of construction in Canada and increasing the use of wood in non-traditional construction applications.

Natural Resources committee  Certainly. Thanks, Deputy. Mr. Chair, I don't have the exact numbers for what we might term oversubscription of the program. It certainly is a very popular and productive program. We do receive more applications than we can fund.