Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We have one study that we're looking at right now. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We've had a number of really bad forest fire seasons and the boreal forest simply is not growing back to be the same forest that it used to be. Also, there is a reforestation fund. We don't require our commercial forestry operators to replant, like they do in many other jurisdictions. There has been a recommendation that reforestation is one of the number one ways we can fight climate change; also, it's a huge employer. I guess my question to the Minister is: do we have money presently set aside for reforestation?
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. To get the detail, I'll actually ask the deputy minister to provide that. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Deputy Minister, Ms. Kelly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. It's my understanding that there is some funding through stumpage fees that could be used toward reforestation. There have been some issues in the past where it hasn't been very successful, and that's one of the reasons we're doing the pilot, is to see if there are certain site techniques or other things that could help us make it more effective in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll have further discussions with the Minister about this. I also believe that the federal government, through its climate change plans, is looking at reforestation as one of the many tools, so I think, looking at the pilot that we're doing and leveraging the money that we currently have set aside through stumpage fees, that there is probably an opportunity to leverage some more federal funding for reforestation efforts. I'll just leave that as a comment.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. If you have no further questions, I'll take that as a comment. Minister of ENR.
Thank you. Just so people are aware, we actually have accessed that part of our study, so we are actually accessing money from the federal government and, from that study, we are hopefully being able to see what we can then access from the federal government moving forward. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Are there any further questions on forest management? Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm just looking at page 81. Under industry development, there is a section on forest management agreements. Do we have any in place, and how many? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We do have two, with companies in Fort Providence and Fort Resolution. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. With respect to those agreements, what are they for? Are they for harvesting, research management, or what are they for? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. They are for harvesting. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess I see forestry as a potential for development and a way to create jobs and that, so I also encourage ENR to work with ITI to promote it, because it appears to me that, I guess, living in the South Slave, I don't see a lot of harvesting going on; there is a little bit. I guess, in saying that, I would kind of like to know from the Minister: what activities, or to what extent are activities happening in the South Slave with respect to harvesting? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We do work with ITI on this, and, from my experience, we work with the community moving forward. They're the ones that come to us, or the companies come to us, but for further detail, with your permission, I'll ask the deputy minister. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South. Oh, Deputy Minister, Ms. Kelly; sorry.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Before tree harvesting can occur, wood fibre supply agreements with another business need to be developed, and they are under development right now. We're told that they are near completion, so we're moving toward the more active phase of the negotiations, and you should be seeing work in the South Slave in the near future. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess the other question I have is, when industry moves into -- we'll use Cameron Hills as an example, or any mining activity -- and roads are put in, what happens with the timber that has to be removed? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Presently, we don't know, and we'll have to get back to the Member for further detail. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Seeing the time, I think we're going to take a short recess.
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I will now call Committee of the Whole back to order. We are on forest management, pages 79 to 82, and I am going to give the mic to the Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. MLA Simpson asked the question about the cutting of the roads and that, and we were able to get the information. With your permission, I would ask the deputy minister to provide that information. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Deputy Minister, Ms. Kelly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The Member was asking a question about what happens when a road is put into a mine with the wood. It's as per the land use permit. Generally, it's put in windrows along the side of the road. Often, communities are able to access that wood, but not all the time, depending on discussions with the company. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. We will move on to the next Member. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I did have a couple of questions on forest management, if I can. Page 80, there's a line item here. I think it's contract services, there's a big increase from last year. Can I get an explanation? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. With your permission, I'll ask the deputy minister to provide that information.
Deputy Minister, Ms. Kelly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The increase is due to forced growth for the Electra air tankers and the Fire Boss, as well as some funding related to the conservation and recovery of barren-ground caribou for $146,000, which is the Wekweeti crew. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. With the fire suppression aircraft, presumably -- I thought we actually bought some of these ourselves, so there's increased contract or maintenance or something associated with these? What exactly is the increase for those aircraft? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. For the detail, I'll ask the deputy minister. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Deputy Minister, Ms. Kelly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. There's forced growth related to the air tankers, and we own the Fire Boss, but the Electras are owned by a company that we have a contact with, and there were some negotiations that increased the contracts that we have to pay. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I have a different question. Under the Low Carbon Economy Fund, which is a federal program, I think there was some money in there for carbon sequestration, and I think, reforestation, possibly. Does that show up anywhere in the ENR budget, or is the department accessing any of that funding? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of ENR.
