Agriculture committee  Yes, it is expensive. We pay taxes and have to maintain that land. We are not looking to the federal government to contribute to the maintenance of our existing properties in any way, shape, or form, but we do use local landowners. They utilize our lands every five years on avera

Agriculture committee  We do current have a permanent easement program. They are voluntary, so the landowners are advised to speak to their lawyers, accountants, financial planners, etc. They're voluntary easements, but they are perpetual. And we've been very successful over the last several years, esp

Agriculture committee  At Ducks Unlimited Canada, we have a cooperative relationship with producers. We currently have some form of agreement or working relationship with more than 17,000 producers across Canada. And we continue to expand that through things like winter wheat programs, range land exten

Agriculture committee  Traditionally, Ducks Unlimited Canada would be seen more toward the end of the spectrum, using longer-term securement including land purchases to help meet our habitat and waterfowl objectives. Over the last few years, we have successfully moved more toward easements, which stil

Agriculture committee  Yes, I do.

Agriculture committee  In Saskatchewan.

Agriculture committee  Sorry.

Agriculture committee  Thank you very much for the opportunity to appear and be able to present Ducks Unlimited Canada's thoughts on the next generation of agricultural policy in Canada. We believe that an increased emphasis on our natural capital in agricultural areas can help improve the overall sust

Finance committee  Thank you for your question. As I mentioned earlier, I think the top two concrete things are the financial disincentives that discourage the destruction of any further loss of our natural capital and the mitigation...if I had an option for a third, it would be to enhance some of

Finance committee  There are a couple of issues that could be addressed quickly, one of which is the disincentives I mentioned in my verbal remarks. Moving to a disincentive through taxes is essentially an incentive in reverse. If there were tax benefits to maintaining natural areas, this would enc

Finance committee  We haven't focused very much on the specific issue of urban sprawl, but some of the instruments that we've been using for decades to conserve natural areas, such as the use of conservation easements, which actually provide financial benefit to the landowner instead of just a pure

Finance committee  On behalf of Ducks Unlimited Canada, thank you to the standing committee for the opportunity to provide input into these important consultations. As a private, non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of Canada's wetlands and uplands for the benefit of waterfowl, wi