Just one more I think. I'm just thinking about the on the Giant Mine public hearing, we had many intervenors or proponents etcetera, like DFO, department of the environment, and all the aboriginal groups, etcetera. So if you were to find in your reports and fish studies etcetera, or water quality, you have an opportunity to probably work with the Alberta government and try to I guess address those issues. But also my question would be is that during the water licence process, are we involved in that process too as well through your department and Alberta? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mahsi, Mr. Edjericon. Minister.
For that detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So there are opportunities through environmental assessment and other licensing for us to provide comments to that, and we do take that opportunity when required. There's also the bilateral management committee with Alberta and the Northwest Territories that has an Indigenous Member on it where we can talk about these matters as well. So we have multiple ways to bring forward concerns related to upstream development. But that's an Alberta licensing process when it's something that's in Alberta. So it would be, you know, providing input through those two ways that I mentioned but we're not part of that licensing process specifically. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. And I don't think there's any further questions? Ms. Nokleby.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I apologize ahead of time if this was already asked because I was off doing a meeting, so.
I'm just curious, I notice that the department has in the last while, or in 2020, released sort of a template now for reporting water quality sampling results etcetera in the Northwest Territories. And I'm just wondering where the department is at for for groundwater guidelines or for our own water and soil guidelines in the North versus using, say, federal guidelines. Are we continuing to develop, or are we still just using interim guidelines in the meantime? Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks.
Mahsi, Ms. Nokleby. Minister.
For that detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So we have our own remediation guidelines and some of them are from different jurisdictions because we can use what's already been done in other places, and some of them are specific to the Northwest Territories. And right now, we're reviewing arsenic guideline, for example, because there's some circumstances in the Northwest Territories that mean that we need to look at that from a specific NWT perspective. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Ms. Nokleby.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I guess sorry, just one sec here. So under the in the grants contributions transfer, the water regulatory line there, is that just sort of a status quo amount, so that's not that they're like, you're not developing new ones, that money's not going to new development; it's more just for the application of the regulatory guidelines? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Ms. Nokleby. Minister.
For that detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the water regulatory is for review of projects, not for guidelines. So this is when we have some of the projects happening and we need to get some support through grants and contributions for review of those projects for expertise. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Ms. Nokleby.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And is that a number that's generally, like, a static throughout the time, or do we expect fluctuations based on additional projects coming online? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Ms. Nokleby. Minister.
For that detail, deputy minister, please. Thank you.
Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So it depends on the projects that come up that year and whether we have the expertise in house to address them or whether we need to work with others, whether they're academics or other experts, to be able to get the information we need to make sure that we're reviewing the projects properly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Ms. Nokleby.
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Excuse me. Ms. Martselos.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to not very often I go on defence of a Minister in a department but I want to ensure that the when I was Chief at Salt River First Nation, we always had a dialogue with ENR and with the water quality regulations and the monitoring that was done within the department. And I know for a fact that even during the pandemic that water quality was happening and monitoring, and the First Nations were always involved, especially Salt River and the Metis because they're from Fort Smith. And I know for a fact that the water quality in the Fort Smith area is top notch. So I just want to make sure that we don't get wrong information from anyone that this is not okay, okay? Because I think that they also have workings with the municipality, and I remember when my husband was mayor that there was a letter written about the water quality in Fort Smith and how great it was. Okay, so it's just a comment. I'm not going to ask any questions but I just want to know one thing, and I'm sure you're still working with those First Nations when they go out to do monitoring; am I correct? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Ms. Martselos. Minister.
Yes, we're and I thank the Member for that. Yeah, we are working with them. We are we have constant communication, whether it's our regional office or out of headquarters, and we have an open line. So if the community had or Indigenous governments or the communities have concerns, they can reach out to us and we're able to get that information to them as quickly as we can. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Ms. Martselos.
I want to make one last comment. When I was the Chief of Salt River First Nation, I just want to reiterate the working relationship we had with the deputy minister. It was an incredible, valuable relationship, and we had a lot of dialogue with the aboriginal people. And I'm not asking any more questions, but I just want to make sure that people understand that the water is fine in Fort Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Ms. Martselos. I didn't hear any questions there. Any further questions from committee? No further questions. Please turn to page 88. Environment and Natural Resources, water management and monitoring operations expenditure summary, 2022 to 2023 Main Estimates, $9,893,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Agree, thank you.
We'll turn to wildlife and fish beginning on page 91, with information item on page 94. Questions? Wildlife and fish. Okay, not seeing any questions. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. So in the Minister's opening remarks, he said that there's an extra $1.03 million for work on the Bathurst and Bluenose East caribou herds. I don't want the Minister to tell me right now, but I want an itemized list of what this money's actually for. So can the Minister commit to provide that and actually make it public? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Minister.
We have it with us if the Member wants it right now. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Or did you say you just wanted to be give it to him because of his time? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.
Yeah, okay, I'll give the Minister 50 seconds if he can read it out quickly, please. Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you. Deputy minister. Thank you.
So it's for herd composition surveys, collaring, Tlicho boots on the ground, the Wekweeti fire crew, the North Slave wolf incentive program, wolf management actions, the fire science research position, and O and M to support research. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.
Yeah, okay, thanks, Mr. Chair, and thanks for that. If I could get the detailed list with absolute numbers beside it, that would be great.
I just want to know whether also whether any of that funding is actually for habitat protection, which has not happened during my six years here, really, and is the one part of caribou management that is yet to be addressed. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
In regards to the list and that, I believe we've already sent it to committee but we'll check to confirm that we sent it to committee. And if we haven't, we'll make sure we send it again.
But in regards to the habitat and the work that's being done in that area, with your permission I'd turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We are currently finalizing a framework document, operational guidance documents, and desktop pilot exercise on mobile caribou conservation measures. And these documents describe the intent and application of Madam Chair of these mobile caribou conservation measures in relation to mineral exploration activities. So there's a framework and operational guidance document and a desktop pilot, and they've been across my desk and are out for interdepartmental review at this time.
We also have the Bathurst caribou range plan, and we've done four workshops that were held to advance this work in 2021. We've been providing funding, support, and background information to Indigenous governments to support this work. The Tlicho government, Athabasca Denesuline, and the NWT Metis Nation have identified some important areas for possible habitat protection. And we're supporting other Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations, such as the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and North Slave Metis Alliance to do similar work. And we're planning a prioritization workshop to build consensus on areas to put forward for conservation under the species at risk or Wildlife Act. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.
Yeah, thanks, I was furiously trying to scribble all of that down. But I want to confirm from the Minister, I asked for that information before and I have not received it, the itemized list. So I'm happy to get that from the Minister.
The mobile caribou conservation measures, this has been under discussion for probably three or four years now. The diamond mines actually do this to a great extent. It was actually done in the Kivalliq region in the 1980s when there was a boom around uranium exploration. They were called the caribou protection measures back then. I just don't understand why we haven't been able do anything about this for years here. So when can we actually expect to see some actual regulatory change to implement these mobile caribou conservation measures. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
