Environment committee  As an official, my job is to implement the act I have. When I look at the Species at Risk Act and realize that it's five or six years old now and there are approaches and flexibilities that we have yet to try within the existing act, it would be hard for me, as an official, to speculate on how the act might be or should be changed.

Environment committee  One of our standard tools is the Species at Risk Act registry. It's a publicly accessible website. It has all of the information. We're looking at how we can make it even more user friendly so that it's easier to click in. One of the features we're looking at that would be very helpful for the SARA registry is a map-based approach.

Environment committee  Yes.

Environment committee  On what we have had on the web, we have the SARA registry. As for the way it's organized, it's the name of the species. You come into it that way. For all of us who use the web in our day-to-day life, that's not as user friendly, so you need to change what they call the user interface and how you connect in to get the information.

Environment committee  COSEWIC assesses the status of species overall in Canada. My point when I was speaking about northern species was that, particularly in Nunavut under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, there are particular obligations that the federal government must respect as they relate to consultation.

Environment committee  I believe that would be a correct statement.

Environment committee  As I perhaps mentioned earlier, the leading cause of species at risk, by far, is habitat destruction and fragmentation. Human activities that lead to destruction of habitat or its fragmentation, whether it's extending a city, or roads, or whatever, are what leads to species at risk.

Environment committee  If we're talking about SARA, and then one of the factors that is leading to the listing of the species, SARA is very much focused on the here and the now, as Gilles pointed out. But that doesn't say that climate change doesn't have an impact; it does. It will have an impact over the longer term.

Environment committee  Perhaps I wasn't clear, so I'll try to make sure that I am. The listing process requires the minister's recommendation to Governor in Council. It's a decision of the Governor in Council to put the species on the list, but the development of recovery strategies is done by officials, often with academics who will provide insight--and so will other team members.

Environment committee  Quite often, I think, if you're outside the bureaucracy trying to feed the processes... There's quite a strict process involved in putting in place new regulations. I've briefly mentioned the cabinet directive on streamlining regulation. I think the government wants to assure itself, or the Governor in Council wants to assure itself, that only regulations that are required are put into law.

Environment committee  Do you mean the listing?

Environment committee  Also, there's a requirement under the act to consult, so--

Environment committee  --at every step of the way we must consult with aboriginal people, because that's a requirement in the act. Also, to the extent that we can, we need to consult with the provinces, the territories, and private landowners.

Environment committee  There are none. Critical habitat is identified strictly on the biological needs of the species.

Environment committee  That's correct.