Thank you, Minister. Deputy Minister, Ms. Kelly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We have a conservation work plan, Healthy Land, Healthy People. It is coming to a close for that action plan, and we are planning to develop a new one. We are committed to continuing the work that is in the action plan. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
One other question here, too: I am just looking at page 78 in terms of positions, as well. With the establishment of, for example, Thaidene Nene, I am just wondering if there has been any increase in positions with Thaidene Nene, with this line item. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of ENR.
Yes, there have been. If the Member wants, there is one in the North Slave, one in the Tlicho, and one in Sahtu. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I didn't quite understand that. Thaidene Nene does not have anything to do with the Tlicho. Okay, so let me be a little more specific. In terms of Lutselk'e, which is in my riding, I just want to see if there are going to be any positions as a result of this budget increase. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. There is a position going into Lutselk'e, an RRO2 position that is going there, and Lutselk'e is actually out of North Slave for the department. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for the response. Just one last question: that one position that is indicated here in the 2020-2021 active positions, that is one directly for Lutselk'e, then? Is that correct, then?
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, and, I am sorry. I apologize. I did not hear exactly what it was, but I think the Member asked: it's for four years, and it's through the nature fund. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Nothing further.
Are there any further questions on the environmental stewardship and climate change? Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just request that we switch out our acting assistant deputy ministers and bring Mr. Elkin back. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Sergeant-at-Arms, would you please escort the witness out and bring the other witness in? Thanks. Can you please introduce your witness for the record?
Thank you. We switched out acting assistant deputy minister Richea to acting deputy minister Elkin. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Are there any further questions on environmental stewardship and climate change from the Members? Seeing no further questions, please turn to page 76. Environmental and Natural Resources, environmental stewardship and climate change, operations expenditure summary, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $13,825,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. We will now begin forest management, beginning on page 79, with information items on page 82. Questions? Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just turning our attention to page 80, fire suppression, I did some research on this one here. I know we had some discussions in committee on this. This is the one item that I think that would really, really affect a lot of our mandate items, and this is one that could fluctuate either way. It's hard to say. None of us has a crystal ball, but if we have one bad fire season, we could say good-bye to a lot of our mandate, a lot of our wish list that we may have.
In 2014, we had a really bad fire season. We had, according to the stats here that I have in front of me, 385 fires, and we had up to $56.1 million in costs and about 3.4 million hectares of forest that was damaged. A lot of this line item here is based on averages, like five-year averages, if I am correct. I guess my first question to the Minister is: let's say we had a really mild season the last couple of years; we had a wet season, we have a surplus. Are there any plans for that surplus if there is a surplus this year? Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. It goes, actually, back to general revenue. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Mahsi cho. On the other end of the spectrum, let's say we have another bad fire season. I just want to get a sense of the Minister's threshold here to ask our federal counterparts for help. I would like to ask the Minister: what would the Minister's upper limit be to, say, declare an emergency and ask for federal help? Mahsi cho, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. This is actually our responsibility, so it would be us that would have to be looking after this, our fire season. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Well, I am just a little concerned, like I said before. I want to make sure that we don't have to go back for a supplementary on this one. It's hard to see because we do not have a crystal ball, but I guess I will leave that at that. If I have any further questions, I will talk to the Minister in person. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Further to my colleague's questions, if we do have a bad fire season, and it is our responsibility to pay for it, and we blow this budget, how do we end up paying for a bad fire season at the end of the day? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of ENR.
We would have to come back to this House and ask for a supplementary. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Hypothetically speaking, if we end up with multiple very bad fire seasons in a row, if we are incapable of increasing our borrowing limit from the federal government, how do we continue to be able to protect the NWT from bad fire seasons, given that we are at the top limit of our borrowing capacity? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Hypothetically, we don't do hypotheticals. We have to deal with reality. We base it on our 10-year average, and so that's what we're looking at. That's the challenge we would have to face moving forward, if we continuously have a bad fire season. At that point in time, we may have to go to the federal government again and ask them to raise our debt ceiling, but right now, it's a supp, and we have to be accountable for fighting fires. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I guess I was looking for our worst-case scenario, rainy-day scenario, but within the forest management budget, most line items are going up, and there is one notable line item that has come down; it's materials and supplies. I'm wondering if -- oh, sorry, that's purchase services. I'm wondering if the Minister can actually speak to why that line item has come down substantially. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of ENR.
In 2018-2019, we bought aircraft parts, and that's why we see a reduction in this one moving forward. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Are there any further questions? Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I see we're pulling about $5,000 in timber-cutting licences and permits, which is not that much. I recognize that much of the Northwest Territories doesn't have trees, but there has been, in the past, quite significant commercial timber operations in the South. Can I just get a sense of what the department is doing to, you know, look into further developing our forestry industry?
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We actually work with communities that look forward on it, and so, when they reach out to us, we try to work with them. I happen to know of one specific case, which is the Nahendeh right now. They're trying to work with the department, and the department is working with them to address that, moving forward. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I do think that there is actually quite a bit of potential in working with ITI to make sure that we develop our forestry industry, and there's a whole spectrum here, whether it's community wood lots or a person building log cabins, or the large BC forestry companies who have come up and harvested in the past in the Northwest Territories. I would encourage the department, or the Minister of ENR, to work with ITI to see if there is some potential economic growth there. My other question is: do we presently conduct any tree planting, or are there any plans to do any tree planting?
