Natural Resources committee  It's a complex problem, but I think that it is possible to reconcile promotion of traditional first nations use and protection of the woodland caribou, even though protecting the species is extremely complex. With good collaboration, we can reconcile forestry production—for much less than it currently costs to supply mills—with the pursuit of nature conservation goals and the promotion of first nations participation in their socioeconomic development through their contribution to forestry activities.

Natural Resources committee  The federal government can really help with this. For one thing, the federal government is the entity that plays the most important role vis-à-vis first nations. The federal government can implement programs to help first nations develop their ability to train people, particularly in forestry and entrepreneurship, so that communities can be involved in economic development and in their relationship to society as a whole.

Natural Resources committee  Good afternoon and thank you, Mr. Chair and committee members. Université Laval, the first francophone university in North America, currently has 48,000 students, including 6,600 international students. The Faculty of Forestry, Geography and Geomatics trains specialists, such as forest engineers, in forest management and environment and in forest operations, as well as engineers specializing in wood engineering and the use of wood in construction.