Thank you, Member. Minister.
For that detail, the deputy minister. Thank you.
Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We have issued an invitation to IGCS members to participate in the development of the forest act in accordance with the new IGC legislative protocol. Numerous IGC members have indicated their interest. Our next step is to have a technical briefing this month with interested IGCS members, after which the timeline and technical working group structure will be determined to move forward. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Glad to hear that it's not dependent on the MVRMA. I recognize that we have developed a new IGCS protocol and we're trying to honour our commitment to a co-drafting process, and I'm happy to hear that. Can I just get an update on whether we expect that to change the timeline for introduction as in the business plan? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
For that detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister.
Deputy Minister Kelly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We are hopeful that it will not change the introduction timeline, but respectfully, we will leave that to once we have had those discussions with the IGCS and have developed the timeline and workplan. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Can I just get a little bit of an explanation of what is going on with the fire operations suppression budget here, noting that it was $14 million, then $18 million, then $22 million, and now back down to $18 million. Is this just the nature of it's hard to predict how much fire suppression we need or what that $4 million is? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
For that detail, I will turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. 2019-2020 was not a bad fire year which is the reason that the numbers are lower in the 2019-2020 actuals. The revised estimates, you'll notice the $22 million, this was due to some additional funding the department was provided with because of COVID issues. We wanted to make sure that we were able to address concerns with how we were going to fight fires and make sure that we were able to protect the people and the property and the environment of the NWT. We were really concerned about having to bring in firefighters from outside the territory, so we put forward a request for funding for multiple initiatives to make sure that we would be able to remain as COVID compliant as possible. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Can I get an update on whether we are doing any replanting or forest planting? I know this has been a bit of a debate in the NWT, but I also know that there is lots of federal money out there for forestry initiatives. Do we currently have any money in this budget for replanting? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you. For that detail, to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. There has been some work done on the efficacy of planting and natural regeneration has been supported, but there are some areas where we are doing some research work. We have some additional funding from the federal government to look into this. It was pushed back because of COVID because there are challenges with tree planting and COVID, but we are definitely still working towards the outcomes of that, that research work. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member.
Thank you, Madam Chair. There has been a lot of talk about biomass and a lot of questions to Infrastructure previously and different departments. As part of that kind of longer-term vision is the idea of communities developing their own, whether it is cord wood or wood chips and kind of these community wood lots, can I just get a sense of whether forest management has any role in that work or money in that budget for that type of work or whether that is a question best left to the biomass people? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you. For that detail, I will turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I think that there are aspects, as the Member has pointed out, that are related to Infrastructure, but I would highlight that our forest management division has a group that is actively working on forest industry development and is in contact with many communities in the NWT and working on projects with them. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a question on page 89, the Water Strategy Action Plan: where are we at with the upstream of this with – oh. Too far ahead? Okay. Let's go to that section. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Okay. Are there any questions from Members under the forest management? Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am not sure, but is this the section where I can ask about, I guess it is there, industry development. I see $50,000 there. What is that actually for? Is that for looking at harvesting and different development in that area? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Can the Member tell me what page he is on?
Page 85.
Sorry. My understanding, if it's on industry development -- correct? Yes. It's my understanding we saw some work, various saw mills like in Jean Marie River right now and the pellet centres, and then we received a supplemental appropriation for fire smarting, as well. Thank you. I think I have answered two questions there with one answer.
Thank you, Minister. Member.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just look at that $50,000 number there, and I take a look at harvesting in the Northwest Territories. There is not a lot of it. It's mostly out of Hay River with a company there and maybe someone in the smaller communities. Is there any appetite to push industry development a little bit more and throw some more money at that initiative? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
For that detail, I will turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Deputy Minister Kelly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We have been working with many communities on the projects that you have been discussing at kind of the level of the saw mill or that type of thing, but we have also been working with Timberworks and Digga, who are companies under the forest management agreement, to develop relationships with Aurora Wood Pellets in Enterprise. That is a major project we have been working on for many years with Indigenous governments. We are open to those conversations, and we are actively working with communities on these types of projects. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, and it's community driven. Like I said, Jean Marie, they are looking at doing this, as well, so they have reached out to our staff and are working with them to try to come up with a plan. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Again, the $50,000 there, if you spread it out amongst a few communities, it does not go far, so where does most of that $50,000 go? Is it one specific community, the major portion of it? Is it all subscribed to, as well? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
For detail, I will go to the deputy minister. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. As you can see here, there is $50,000, but the actuals are $128,000. There is more money that is going towards this industry development than what is in these grants and contribution line items. For this, I don't have the specifics in front of me of what is going to what. There are several small contribution agreements with communities to look at opportunities for saw mills, for example, and there has been in the past many years that we have worked in communities, particularly Fort Resolution and Fort Providence, on a number of funding initiatives to help support the development of businesses under the forest management agreements. Thank you, Madam Chair.
