Environment committee  We agree here in Vancouver.

Environment committee  Perhaps I could take that one. The constitutional authority for SARA was very heavily discussed when SARA first passed through Parliament. People as eminent as La Forest, the former Supreme Court justice, provided opinions. The criminal law power is one of the heads under the

Environment committee  I think the best I could offer there is the Species at Risk Act through the recovery strategy.... In a recovery strategy, we would get the team of scientists together to identify threats such as what you're discussing. They would come up with scientific approaches to dealing with

Environment committee  I'm happy to take that one. We have been hearing some suggestions, from others before you, that a conservation agreement should also count as an exemption from the prohibitions in SARA, and our opinion is that it should not. The reason we say it should not is that section 73 of

Environment committee  It's raining here.

Environment committee  We do indeed, and we recommended timelines in our brief. We recommended 180 days for the initial gap analysis, and a further 180 days for the province to fix any holes. At the end of one year, the safety net would have to be used if the province was not effectively protecting.

Environment committee  Thanks, Rachel. I'd be happy to respond. We do believe that federal leadership is critical for species at risk, but we also agree that a cooperative approach between the federal government and the provinces makes sense so long as the provinces are doing what they committed to

Environment committee  I don't think I have anything further to add. Thank you.

Environment committee  Maybe Susan Pinkus, our staff scientist, could speak to that.

Environment committee  Mr. Chair, can you hear me? We are having a few technical difficulties at this end. If I do cut out, perhaps Rachel could take over for me.

Environment committee  Okay, thank you. Let me jump in. Some of the improvements in implementation are, we believe, a result of some of the legal challenges brought under SARA. The number of such court cases brought by environmental groups has been small and they were brought as a last resort to addre

Environment committee  I do, Mr. Chair. I have Susan Pinkus, staff scientist, with me.