Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This area is an area that (microphone turned off)...forest fire. I am sorry, Mr. Chairman. I was trying to get the correct page, forest fire management. This area is an area that receives a certain amount of concern from the general public when it comes to protecting forests. There are pros and cons expressed. Some people feel that they fight too many fires. Others feel that they don't fight enough or else they don't fight them in the right areas. There is a policy that directs that only certain fires be fought. There is a period of time from the time the fire starts or is originally spotted to the time they decide to fight it. There are a number of things that are controversial. It has been felt that it is a natural occurrence that fires happen and should be allowed to burn. It does good to the forests.
On the other hand, there are areas that are used by harvesters to collect both food and furs as part of their income. If that place is burnt, there is no more income because of the trap line areas being designated. It was not as if there was open territory. If it burns, you could move somewhere else. If it burns in your area, your trap line, it is burnt. It is finished. There are cabins and equipment that go up in the fire. Many times, trappers feel that, once the fire is spotted, it should be fought while it is small and put them out so they don't get out of hand and become a threat. It takes enormous amounts of money, manpower and equipment to fight a fire. If attacked as soon as the thing starts while it is still small, it would not result in such an enormous cost to Renewable Resources to fight the fire and to the hunters and trappers in that area who lose everything.
In the current policy at the moment, is there a set policy that there are certain areas that they will fight fires in and designated to be top priority? What is the policy on initial strike, that is, when the fire gets started, they go out and put it out and not wait until it gets a good foothold?