Thank you, Mr. Chair. Our plan would be to introduce all five of the legislative proposals. We certainly recognize the legislation that is going to be required for Thaidene Nene. There are a couple of other candidate areas in the Northwest Territories that are not too far behind Thaidene Nene as well. Once the piece of legislation is put forward and we work in collaboration with our partners to develop it, the legislation for areas like Thaidene Nene will most likely advance a little quicker than some of the others. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Might we see a conservation areas act, or whatever it gets called, move forward before the end of this financial year, and the Forestry Act as well? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. For lack of a better term, the conservation act, certainly, once we have it in the mix, we plan on using the collaborative approach, we plan on working with other departments to finalize that one. Our plan is to have that one done this fiscal year. The others, again, will probably take a bit longer. Again, still planning to have them done in the life of this Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Mr. O'Reilly.
I appreciate the response from the deputy minister. I want to encourage the department to keep working away on those. Look forward to seeing them come forward to standing committee, particularly the conservation area legislation, whatever it might get called. I want to encourage them to keep moving forward on that. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Would you like a response? No. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Tsiigehtchic trapping, is it a headquarters function or a regional function? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.
That is a regional function.
Thank you, Mr. Schumann. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Is it in a partnership with another department or is this strictly an ENR program. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.
Tsiigehtchic trapping is a partnership with MACA and Health and Social Services.
Thank you. Mr. Thompson.
In this partnership, how much is actually in this budget to run this program? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.
Yes. There is $100,000 from each department plus ENR is $125,000 so $325,000 total
Thank you, Mr. Schumann. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. ENR is actually running this program through your department with these other two departments providing funding towards you? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.
Yes. That is exactly right.
Mr. Thompson.
Is there any other programs that are within this department or is there ITI? I am looking for harvesting, Tsiigehtchic gardening, is that in another department or is it your guys' department mandate? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. There are other programs for harvesting. On a grants contributions, there is a Community Harvesters Assistance Program, local wildlife committee funding. We also have the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program that ENR administers for the most part. In the Northwest Territories, we do work closely with ITI. ITI does have a hide procurement program that uses the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program, the fur database to administer, but for the most part, these programs are administered by Environment and Natural Resources. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Mr. Thompson.
That is all the questions I have for page 88.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Sorry. I was in a side conversation. Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Where to begin here?
---Laughter
Start under disaster compensation. I see there is only $15,000 there. As you may know, in previous years, especially in Fort McPherson and sometimes Aklavik, we have a lot of flooding in these areas, a lot of camps that are usually under water. This spring I have seen a couple of houses floating there. It is at the same water level as DOT stores its ferries. It is within reason. Just offhand, would the deputy minister know how many claims we have had in that area? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This disaster compensation program with the $15,000 is for natural disasters such as floods as the Member mentioned. I just want to touch on another program that is in place to assist harvesters as well. That is the fire disaster compensation program as well. That program starts with $100,000. As far as the number of claims recently from the Beaufort Delta area, we would have to get back to the Member with those numbers. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, it just felt like that number is kind of low, there. I know one year we had over 20 camps that were underwater, so for the future I think a little more needs to be put into that area. But in another area here, under the local wildlife committees. This refers to the RRCs, HTCs, and whatnot; one thing the RRCs in my riding have noticed is that they're using a lot of their own funds to operate the RRC. I see it says band councils here, but I’m not sure if the money goes directly to the Gwichyaa Gwich’in, for example, and Tsiigehtchic. You know, they operate the RRC, and usually they get their funds from the Gwich'in Tribal Council. I'd just like to find out exactly where the money flows for renewable resource councils. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. For the exact numbers, we would have to get back on the numbers. The dollars for local wildlife committees or local authorities flows directly from our regional office to those co-management processes or, in non–land claim areas, to the local authority there. In some cases, they have hunters' and trappers' councils or associations. In others, the local band councils or the Metis councils are the local authorities, so those dollars flow from the regional office to those organizations. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just under the fur pricing program, you know, I know we're well above other agents like the Yukon and other areas throughout Canada. I sure hope this program continues. It really helps out the trappers. I just wanted to commend the department on that. I know the struggles they have in the Yukon compared to our trappers here in the NWT, and I've really noticed a lot more younger people going out trapping. It goes to show that Take a Kid Trapping is very successful, and I just hope that those programs continue. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The fur pricing program, or the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program, is certainly a renowned program that started way back in the 1990s and I know a lot of jurisdictions in Canada certainly appreciate the program that we have in the Northwest Territories where the GNWT guarantees a price for our harvesters on the different species. I recently returned from a convention, the fur harvesters association convention. We are absolutely going to continue the program, and we're actually looking at ways of enhancing the program. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Mr. Blake.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Just going back a couple of years ago, you know, I really like the work the department has done on the area of… You know, we have a young trapper out of Hay River. His name doesn't hit me right now, but I'm sure you know who I'm referring to. He works with the fur harvesting program, and I like to see that sort of trapping highlighted. You can even get it on satellite TV. I watch it. The reason is, here in the NWT, we use Conibear traps. These are the latest codes we follow here in the NWT, and anybody who watches Yukon Men, you know, those programs in Alaska that still use leg hold traps. I mean, the only way you could use leg hold traps here in NWT is drown sets. That sort of thing I like to see, what we do here in the NWT, because it's humane and that's the way everybody should be following. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. I believe the trapper you refer to is Andrew Stanley. Minister Schumann or Mr. Campbell?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources continue to work with ITI, with that documentary-type stuff that's going on in the Hay River area. When I mentioned looking at other ways of enhancing our program, I think we want to explore in other regions. We can take advantage of, as the Member identifies, our approaches and how the tools that our trappers in the Northwest Territories use to harvest humanely. We started this many, many years ago on a Trap Exchange Program. It all goes back to humane trapping standards set nationally and internationally, and we're certainly a leader in the Northwest Territories in that area. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Next on my list I have Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I also have questions about the fur pricing program. I'm wondering if the department can share with us the subscription rate, or how many people are using this program, and if it's another one of our programs that's over-subscribed.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The fur pricing program has a revolving fund with the amount that we see identified there of over $400,000. It's not over-subscribed at this point. There is the odd time where it is slightly over subscribed, but again we look internally at covering that. For the most part, it's a guaranteed price for the harvesters and, when the harvester gets the returns from the auction, a lot of that money flows back into the program. We watch it quite closely. We base our advance prices to the trappers on market prices and try to find that balance where we guarantee a price to the trappers for the species. However, we want to make sure that we don't get over-subscribed. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
