Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just under "wildfire risk management plans," the number seems kind of low. I know more responsibility has been put on the community governments to do the planning. I am not sure if the plan was to make community governments use their capital plan planning dollars for firebreaks, but, you know, $75,000 seems kind of low for the number of communities that need to either redo or actually have a first firebreak put in place. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this is just our contribution through ENR to help do some of the FireSmarting. There are other pots of funding that they are able to access to complete the work, I believe through MACA. They get some funding through MACA, and then I believe through the small community employment fund that there are some opportunities there that have been identified by some of the smaller communities as a good way that they could use that fund. This is just ENR's contribution to the FireSmarting program. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Maybe you could correct me if I am wrong, but, in the past, wasn't ENR pretty much taking care of the whole cost of firebreaks? This might have been 15 or 20 years ago, but I know, when Tsiigehtchic did it, at the time, I believe ENR pretty much took care of the total cost. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would have to do some research into that, but, as the Member pointed out, in 2007 a new deal came in where a lot of the capital money went to the communities, and that may have replaced some of the money that ENR was contributing towards this. I am sure, if we did not have the new deal, then you would see the appropriation for ENR probably still at historical levels. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Maybe just on that note, are there communities that are making use of this $75,000? Because I know Tsiigehtchic and Fort McPherson would like to redo their firebreaks, and I am sure you will be seeing a proposal in the next month or so here. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Minister McLeod.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my understanding of this is that this is application-based, and it has been fully subscribed to the last few years. So, if the Member's communities come forward with a proposal, then I am sure it is one that we will look at, and, if there is funding available, we will put some funding toward it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Blake. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. On page 83, under "grants," we see "fire damage compensation." I am just wondering, in the 2017-2018 fiscal year, how much of this money was spent? I am just wondering about the overall level of subscription. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In 2017-2018, there was $30,000 spent of this money. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Testart.
My apologies, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister repeat the response? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, in 2017, there was approximately $30,000 of the $100,000 that was allocated. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, the actuals in 2016-2017 were only $10,000. What was the difference between the estimates and the actuals in 2016-2017? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. The difference would have been $90,000 because the budget allocation is $100,000. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I am just wondering about the department's logic behind it. I mean it seems like this is a very large appropriation based on the amount of people who are actually benefitting from the grant. Is there a reason that the appropriation is $100,000 when it seems like, for the two years that are indicated in these documents, we have $10,000 and then $30,000? How would the Minister characterize the planning that goes behind the $100,000 figure? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my understanding is that this is just a holding number for the purposes of the budget. There are some years, say 2014-2015, bad fire seasons we had, for example. It is my understanding that there were a few hundred thousand dollars that were paid out, and that came forward in the form of a supplementary appropriation at that time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Testart.
Okay, so, if the money is not spent, this is returned to general revenues, or is this diverted internally to other activities in the department? How is the lapsed funding typically used by the department? Is it just lapsed funding that goes away, or is it spent on other activities? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the money stays within the department, actually within that division, and is used for other purposes. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Testart.
Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for the clarification on that. The next question is about forestry resources, so just a general question: have we completed forestry inventories for all of our available forestry product stock in the Northwest Territories for the purposes of industrial and economic harvesting? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, yes, we have completed our forest inventory. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Do we evaluate our inventories based on their -- I am not sure the technical language, but as carbon sinks? Have we recognized the benefits of reducing carbon admissions that our forestry assets represent, and do we take that into consideration when we are managing our inventories? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am not sure whether we do that or not, but I will work with our division and get the information and share it with committee, so the quick answer is I am really not sure. I do not have the information at my fingertips, but we will work on getting that information. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Testart.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. In the forestry management agreements that we currently have in place for industrial purposes, is there a climate change or environmental lens applied to those agreements before they are signed or as they are signed, as they are developed? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. We appreciate the suggestion from the Member. I am not quite sure if the agreements we have in place actually have those, but, I mean, I think it is a good suggestion. We will go back, have a look at those agreements and see if they have those, and if they do not, then we will look at maybe as we go forward trying to incorporate them into any further agreements, or see if there is opportunity to incorporate them into the existing agreements. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I apologize; I know the Member for Mackenzie Delta asked some questions about the wildfire risk management plans, but I will ask a similar question as I did about the fire damage compensation. Is this money, the $75,000 that has been allocated, does this get out the door every year? Or is this, again, a holding pattern type of thing? Well, let's clarify. So in the 2017-2018 fiscal year, how much of the $75,000 was utilized by communities for the developmental of wildfire risk management plans? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. My understanding is all of this money gets out the door, and when we do this year's actuals, then we will be able to give you an accurate figure; but my understanding is all this money is allocated. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The money made available, is it oversubscribed? Are more communities asking for assistance in their wildfire risk plans than the funding currently provides? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
