Environment committee  The amount that hunters put into, say, the conservation of wetlands, would be a separate number from the $1.8 billion that hunters and trappers spend directly. That number includes what they would spend on accommodation, transport, food, and buying equipment, but not on those add

Environment committee  I'll take a stab at it. I'm not sure I actually see it as a paradox. I think it's a direct relationship. I was trying to bring that out in my comments earlier. The hunters are in fact a strong voice for conservation, for example, in habitat conservation, which you alluded to a

Environment committee  We funded about 40 or 50 projects in fiscal year 2014-15 and we're now working on the second slate of projects to be funded under the national wetland conservation fund.

Environment committee  In response to the second part of your question, we certainly have recipients who are what I would characterize as traditional recipients of funding, for example Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Delta Waterfowl Foundation. However, we made a concerted effort to reach out to new par

Environment committee  That's a good question, and you're absolutely right. We have a number of conservation partnerships with the United States for particular species. I think of the porcupine caribou herd between Alaska and the Yukon, which has been successfully jointly managed for many years now und

Environment committee  Globally we're working towards a standard definition for all types of conservation lands. For many years there's been an internationally accepted definition of protected areas. I'm referring to government-protected areas. The accounting we are doing at Environment Canada includes

Environment committee  The answer is yes. We have 54 national wildlife areas, and hunting is allowed in 27 of them. We do manage for conservation outcomes. In some of the areas, to achieve our objectives, hunting is not possible. Some national wildlife areas are quite small, literally the size of the f

Environment committee  No, not at all. There are various activities that we allow in the national wildlife areas, and hunting is one of those activities. It's not detrimental to the conservation outcomes that we pursue in those areas.

Environment committee  We're taking two primary areas of activity. One is the humane trapping standards. If we're talking about trapping, it's important for market access, if you will, to demonstrate to the international community the humaneness of the trapping. I won't go into more detail on that.

Environment committee  Thank you for your question. With respect to the main estimates and species at risk, part of the funding we have for the species at risk program is what is referred to as sunsetting, so that decision is yet to be taken whether or not to renew the funds that would be sunsetted, b

Environment committee  That's not a choice that I make as an official.

Environment committee  With respect to the budget and the amount—

Environment committee  I'd prefer the opportunity to look at those numbers and provide a response back to the committee following this meeting. I don't have that information in front of me.

Environment committee  We're still going through our quarterly reporting and taking stock of what any free balances might be in the departmental budget. It's not yet the end of the fiscal year, so I'm not in a position to answer that question.

Environment committee  Your question speaks to the entire budget of the department, and I'm not involved in most parts of that budget. Again, perhaps you would permit me to get back to the committee following this meeting.