For that detail, I will turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The knowledge agenda used to be the science agenda, and then it was updated to become the knowledge agenda because we wanted to be looking more broadly than just at science. We plan on releasing the first knowledge agenda action plan next session. In the action plan that we have, a total of 18 of the 19 key actions outlined are short-term deliverables, and 18 are completed or in progress. Basically, what this is is a look at what research we need to do as a government. It's a compiled document that we can go to universities or other academic institutions and the federal government, and it highlights what our research needs are. What I would say is it is a support to the knowledge economy piece, and it is a major pillar of that, I would even go so far as saying. It's our people that work on the knowledge agenda are heavily involved in the knowledge economy conversation with ITI. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I see that there is about a $800,000, I'm doing math on the fly, decrease to conservation planning and implementation, looking at page 80, from $5,263,000 to $4,400,000. Can I just get a bit of an explanation of why we are decreasing our funding for conservation planning and implementation? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you. It's due to the reduction of the federal nature fund funding in year three as compared to year two. The GNWT requested reduced federal funding for years three and four as the protected areas transition from more expensive establishment activities to implementation and management plans. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am looking at the corresponding nature fund protected areas, $1.9 million, and I heard the Minister say there that there was a decrease in federal funding. Can I get an understanding of how much of that $2 million for nature fund protected areas is not GNWT money? I don't know if it's all federal, but it's not necessarily all our money. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
For that detail, I will turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Deputy Minister Kelly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The nature fund money is a portion of the conservation planning and implementation funds. The way that it works is that we put forward an application for what we would need over the five-year period. It varied among years. While it can seem like it looks like a reduction, it's actually the funding is less for that year's work than what it was the year before. As the Minister mentioned, that often happens when you go from the negotiations and the establishment agreement discussions because there were so many meetings and a lot of engagement to working together collaboratively with Indigenous governments on the management. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Can I get some information on this $25,000 for adaptation plans? It seems to be lacking a little bit in that there is no shortage of work to be done to make sure all of our communities and regional governments are prepared for climate change adaptation. Can I get some information on this fund and whether we plan to increase it? Is it subscribed to every year? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
For that detail, I turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Deputy Minister Kelly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. On these pages that are grants and contributions, this is the funding that is being given out to communities. Often, there is more being given out to communities from different areas in the department. If we are working on adaptation related to wildlife, there could be funding that is coming from that group. If we are working on adaptation from another division, they could be providing funding. This is what's under this group for adaptation, and it's money that is going out to communities. It doesn't mean that there isn't money, and in this case, there is money in that unit itself to support community adaptation. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm just looking at page 81, a couple of line items here: IRMA and nature fund protected areas. I'm just looking at the description here. It's the assistance for Indigenous communities in unsettled land claims to participate in land and resource management processes. My question for the Minister here is: which communities are they referring to in this line item? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. For that detail, I will turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Acho Dene Koe First Nation, Akaitcho First Nations, Deh Gah Got'ie First Nations, Dehcho First Nations, Deninu Kue First Nation, Fort Providence Metis Council, Fort Resolution Metis Council, Fort Simpson Metis Nation, Fort Smith Metis Council, Hay River Metis Government Council, Jean Marie River First Nation, Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation, K'atlodeeche First Nation, Lidlii Kue First Nation, Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation, Nahanni Butte Dene Band, North Slave Metis Alliance, NWT Metis Nation, Pedzeh Ki First Nation, Sambaa K'e First Nation, West Point First Nation, and Yellowknives Dene First Nation. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for that list. Maybe this might be a taller ask, but when will we get a breakdown of what each organization gets just to have an idea? My other question is: just going back through the years here, has this been prescribed properly? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you. Yes, we will be able to share it. I would assume that it's been managed properly. It's been looked after properly, but for clarity, I will ask the deputy minister to provide further information. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. This is a program that came over with devolution, and our department has done a program review early on and has meetings annually to work with these communities on how the distribution occurs. I would definitely say that there's been a lot of discussion and input into this program. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member.
Thank you, Madam Chair. This is good to know. Like I say, hopefully, in the future, we will see some of the list that you gave me settle their land claims, and we'll go that route. Good. Moving along, nature fund protected areas, there are three protected areas here. Again, I'd like to know what the breakdown is for that $1.9 million? Marsi cho.
Thank you. Minister.
For that detail, I would turn to the deputy minister. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. For clarification, is the question, who the money is going to? Fort Resolution, Yellowknife, Fort Good Hope, Lutselk'e, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories Metis Nation, Wilfred Laurier University, Yamoga Land Corporation in Fort Good Hope, and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation in Yellowknife. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you for that response. My other question is: what is the split between the three protected areas in terms of this budget line item? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
For that detail, I'll go to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy Minister Kelly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. That's a little bit of a challenging question because there's nature funds, money that comes to the GNWT that is distributed to the communities. The communities also get nature fund money themselves. The split, the way that it is looking with the GNWT funding and the Government of Canada funding is $1.137 million for Tsude Niline Tuyeta and $1.282 million for Thaidene Nene and $619,000 for Dinaga Wek'ehodi. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for that. I don't have any other questions on this section. Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Members, we're going to take a recess, and we'll resume on the same activity.
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I will now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we were on Environment and Natural Resources, environmental stewardship and climate change. Are there any questions? We've gone through Yellowknife North and Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Are there any questions from Members under this section? Seeing none, please go to page 80. Environment and Natural Resources, environmental stewardship and climate change, operations expenditure summary, 2021-2022 Main Estimates, $14,638,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. We will now go to forest management beginning on page 83 with information items on page 86. Questions? Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Can I get an update on where the forest act is?
