Environment committee  I can speak for Environment Canada. Canadian Wildlife Service staff who are part of Environment Canada contribute to advice provided on environmental assessments that are coordinated across the department. We take into account species at risk as well as migratory birds.

Environment committee  I'm not exactly sure about the painted turtle status. I don't keep all 486 in my head. This may well be federally listed, but I don't believe so. However, on the way the legislation and the accord works, each jurisdiction can--and in many cases does--have their own endangered species or species at risk legislation.

Environment committee  In situations like this, we try to build awareness so that at certain times of the year it's not a problem for the piping plover that the dam is keeping the reservoir at high levels and essentially, I guess, covering the piping plover habitat. At other times of the year it is more important that the water level be lower.

Environment committee  I'll start with sage grouse, and I'll leave the aquatic cases to my colleague from DFO. The sage grouse is an interesting case. The decision really was clarifying. I think we already had a sense that this was where it was. But regardless of where critical habitat occurs, it should be identified, based on best available information.

Environment committee  Currently the habitat stewardship program and AFSAR can accommodate an ecosystem approach. Every year the selection of projects is done regionally, and we do try to identify what are the hot spots for a particular species at risk, trying to come at it in a more strategic way. In the early days it was quite a bit about each individual project, but as we've built up awareness as to what's happening across the landscape, we're better able to sort of focus in on what types of actions or what types of projects would best benefit species at risk.

Environment committee  We certainly can reorient priorities, and we have done so for the program.

Environment committee  Yes. All three departments, in developing a recovery strategy, look at the threats in terms of what is causing the decline or threatening the species at risk under discussion. So we would look. In some cases, it's habitat--loss, fragmentation, or the poor quality of the habitat available.

Environment committee  I'm sorry, I can't provide one to you. I certainly could provide one in follow-up. There are examples of what we call fringe species: the northern edge of the range of that species tips into Canada, so the bulk of the range is south of the border, for example.

Environment committee  Yes. I wouldn't speak necessarily to the millions versus four plants. But the concept can happen that we may have a very small proportion, say 2% or less, of the population in the world in Canada, and our population is more at threat than the populations in other parts of the world.

Environment committee  Thank you for the opportunity to clarify my point. When I was responding to Mr. Sopuck, I had understood the question to be, for the money that had been provided, what species had recovered whose recovery was completely attributable to SARA. At this point in time, we can't point to that.

Environment committee  Unfortunately, I don't have the statistics with me. Although I thought I brought everything, I didn't bring this with me.

Environment committee  I think it's fair to say that SARA is premised on stewardship actions. As a going-in position, that is what I think the act is founded on, and then there would be regulation and other tools in the act as necessary. I would agree that definitely stewardship is key to being able to recover species at risk.

Environment committee  The act is clear. It is the status of the species in Canada. So the global status is certainly a factor that is taken into account by COSEWIC when they're making their determination as to status in Canada, but, yes, there are situations where I wouldn't say a species is wildly abundant elsewhere but it could be perhaps not at risk in other parts of the world.

Environment committee  As of January of this year, 41 species had critical habitat partially or fully identified in posted recovery strategies.

Environment committee  Directly related to SARA, I don't believe there are any.