Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, we're going to take a short recess.
SHORT RECESS
Committee, we will continue on with Environment and Climate Change, policy and strategic planning, beginning on page 87 with information items on page 88 and 90. Questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I want to turn to page 88, the nature fund protected areas. It's showing zero for 20232024. Can I get an explanation? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you. So we didn't have any money in our budget but we're working with the federal government to be able to get that funding backs. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. And I do want to compliment the Minister and his staff because I know that they're pretty good at leveraging money. But how confident are we that we're going to get any money for this? Because as I understand it, this is the funding that goes to support, you know I'm not even going to pronounce all the names right here, but Thaidene Nene and then a couple of other protected areas. These have gone through extensive consultation with Indigenous governments. It's a great kind of comanagement approach. There's guardianship, you know, projects and things happening there, some really great stuff. This is about economic diversification, Madam Chair. So how confident are we that we're going to get money because if we don't get federal money, we're going to need to spend some money to continue to do this really good work. And I'm not opposed to that but if we can have the feds do it, that would be helpful. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
I'll start, and then I'll turn to the deputy minister. How confident I am about the money from the federal government? I would say 99.99 percent that we're going to get it. But for that detail, maybe I'll turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy minister.
Madam Chair, we have a letter of agreement with ECCC for bridge funding for two years with the possibility for extending another year. But our hope is that in the interim we'll be able to agree to Project Finance for Permanence, or PFP, which we're working on with Indigenous governments at this time that would provide a mechanism for longterm funding for protected areas and conservation areas in the NWT. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks. 99.99, that's pretty good so I'll take it. Yeah, I'll just try to continue the roll here.
So the contributions for supporting sustainable land use management are declining from 142 to 90. Can I get an explanation, please.
Thank you. Minister.
For that detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy minister.
This is due to a sunset of the funding for the approach to unauthorized and rightspaced occupancy initiative. And we're able to do this work at the level that it's at right now inhouse. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Okay, thanks, Madam Chair. On the same page, sustainable livelihoods; we seem to be on a downward slide there. Can I get an explanation, please?
Thank you. Minister.
For the detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister.
Thank you. Deputy minister.
This is due to a sunset of some sustainable livelihoods funding that we had to develop the sustainable livelihood and implement the sustainable livelihood's action plan, and we've done the work that was required for that money. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. So if the strategy and an action plan has been done, when can we expect this funding to actually be increased? You know, we're losing quite a bit just due to CPI, and I don't think things like the community harvester assistance program have been increased for probably decades. So when can we expect to see some more money there. And maybe the Regular MLAs, we're going to work to maybe get some more money there but what's the Minister's thinking on this? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We have done a review of the community harvester assistance program and through that review, we've come up with a new funding formula. There were some concerns that were brought forward about the program, and we have been working to address them. We'd like to implement the new funding formula for a couple of years to see if there's oversubscription. At this particular moment in time, the way the program works is that the money is given to Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations, and we need to improve the tracking information so that we can understand whether there is that need for additional funding. In the meantime, we've developed a number of other programs that we're putting funding to that were part of the engagement. So for example, trapper training where people in communities said that they need that training, and Take a Family on the Land where folks are mentioning that they want to have that ability to go out on the land and support healing and language transfer at the same time as doing ontheland activities. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Yeah, no, thanks for that. Yeah, I know this has been the subject of some ongoing debate and negotiation I guess. I'd say I'm quite confident that this money, at least in sustainable livelihoods, is well used and it actually helps support food security and particularly in our smaller communities. So I'm I think we're going to find a way to work together to get that increased. I think that's all I've got on this activity, Madam Chair. Thanks.
Okay, thank you. Are there any further questions from Members under policy and strategic planning? Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a couple of quick ones. The fur price program, how is that working out because, you know, the fur pricing across the territory and how are they are they getting it down? I guess is it still North Bay? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
For that detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy minister Kelly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So one of the things that we have noticed, and especially postCOVID, is there's been a reduction of the number of furs that are being brought in to ENR and going to market. We have a fur forum that will be happening this month where we're bringing in folks from across the territory to have conversations about how we can better support trappers in communities. And there will be some folks there that will be helping us. We're also doing a review of the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program that should also help with this situation. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Chair. No, that sustainable like my colleague, Mr. O'Reilly, said that sustainable livelihood, anything that you could do to help, I guess, our on the land, the trappers, take a KID trapping and family initiatives that you could do, and we're hoping to get that increased in this. So no, just hats off to you guys in regards to what you're trying to do and that because this helps a lot of people. You don't realize how much help we're doing on this for the fur program. So thank you very much. That's a comment. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Are there any Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just my colleague's questions prompted another question for me. As part of that fur forum, are artisans and artists involved in this discussion, or is it just solely trappers and hunters? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
For that detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister.
Thank you. Deputy minister Dr. Kelly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So my understanding is that there's a focus on harvesting but there is a conversation about value added. So what could be done with the furs so that there would be the ability to sell them in the Northwest Territories and have a market here, not just having to go to the bigger fur market sales. And we do engage in conversations with ITI about this. They are working on the fur forum with us as well. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And I'm really glad to hear that and hear that there's the crossdepartmental collaboration because I'm assuming that, you know, furs that potentially are not of quality enough to be, say, sold down south would then have an artisan or market value here like you mentioned or the department mentioned, regarding just for, like, making earrings and such. So I'm just really happy to hear that.
Is there going to be as part of this forum the discussion around the hide tanning conversation that keeps happening, and I may be sort of somewhat in the wrong location. But, again, it still seems to be all part and parcel of the same thing, and I know that a lot of artisans are talking about having the natural tanned hide. And I'm just wondering if there's a place in this area, or sustainable livelihoods even, where we could potentially be looking again at that natural tanning and promoting that. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you. Yes, it's a separate conversation but it's with ITI, and we're having that conversation and working with them. Thank you.
