Thank you, Madam Chair. At this point in time, we'll have to get back to the Member with that detail. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Are there any further questions on forest management? Seeing that there are no further questions, please turn to page 80. Environment and Natural Resources, forest management, operations expenditure summary, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $38,044,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
We have done water management, so we are going to wildlife and fish, beginning on page 87 with information items on pages 90 to 99. Questions? Questions for wildlife and fish? Any questions? Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I think the Minister said, even in his opening remarks if I can find them, that there was some funding in here for wildlife surveys along the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highway. Can I get an explanation of that, please? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. It is for caribou and grizzly bear populations. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Is the department able to charge this back to the Department of Infrastructure? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Infrastructure is actually providing us the funds to do this. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. That is great news. Thank you. I wanted to move on to caribou funding. The Minister talked about $5.9 million of additional federal funding covering a whole bunch of different areas. Then back on February 5th, I'd asked questions of the Minister around caribou funding for the Bathurst caribou herd. At that point, he talked about $6.8 million over five years. I am just trying to reconcile who is paying what for caribou and how much and over what period of time. Can the Minister commit to give us something in writing that lays this out more clearly? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of ENR.
Yes, we can provide that in writing. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Just so we are on the same page here, is the Minister going to break that down by boreal caribou versus barren-ground caribou and, even within the barren-ground caribou allocations, if there is money that has been identified for specific herds or planning projects, that kind of thing, is that the kind of breakdown we are going to see over time, as well? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of ENR.
Yes, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. That is great to hear. I just want to poke into this a little bit further. Back on February 5th, the Minister talked about $6.8 million over five years for barren-land caribou herds. Is this ENR money that was approved through the FMB, or is this federal money that he was talking about back on February 5th? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. New barren-land ground caribou funding, it was an FMB submission, so it is our territorial money. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Wow. All that complaining about no money for caribou must have paid off. I didn't even know about this until February. I am really curious to know: does the Minister know whether any of that is for habitat protection? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just the one comment is: this was approved in the last government. As for the habitat, that information, with your permission, I will turn it over to the deputy minister. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Deputy Minister, Ms. Kelly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. There is funding in here for communities to provide input into which habitat they feel should be protected. We need to still look at the mechanism for how that would work. That funding is not included in this money. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Do we need additional money, then, to do work on habitat protection? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of ENR.
Thank you. Some of the stuff we can do within. It depends on the mechanism. We may have to come back, but right now, we are trying to be able to do it with internal. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I understand that barren-ground caribou, barren-land caribou, are being considered for designation under the Species at Risk Act, which would trigger a whole cascading set of legal requirements, including a recovery strategy. Can someone explain when that decision is going to be made and what the financial consequences are going to be for our government? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. With your permission, for this detail, I will ask the acting assistant deputy minister, Mr. Elkin. Thank you.
Mr. Elkin.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I will start by noting that barren-ground caribou, in terms of listing as a species at risk, are being looked at both federally and territorially. In NWT, we have already listed them as threatened. Under the Species at Risk Act, we have a timeline to finalize a recovery strategy, along with our co-management partners. We just had a meeting in Inuvik in February to do the penultimate draft. We expect it to be in place by July 2020. The federal government has not yet listed. They are still out consulting. Their recovery strategy would be further down the line. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Elkin. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. That is helpful to know. What are the financial consequences for our government? Is there money in here for the development of a recovery strategy and associated actions with that for GNWT? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We do have enough money to do a recovery strategy. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Assuming that the federal government is going to find barren-ground caribou as a designated species under their legislation, would we be looking to enter into a Section 11 agreement for that species, as well? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of ENR.
Thank you, Madam Chair. For this detail, I will ask the deputy minister to provide the information. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Deputy Minister, Ms. Kelly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The federal government has nature fund money for priority species that we would look to access. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
