Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. As you all know, the Protected Areas Strategy initiative is a collaborative effort from two levels of government, including the federal government and the GNWT, also along with NGOs, First Nations, and it has been an initiative that has been fairly successful throughout the Northwest Territories. It makes the effort to identify special ecological cultural futures of community initiatives and to try and set aside those lands for protection. Can the Minister give an update of the various PAS initiatives across the NWT? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have a list of protected area strategies at different stages. In the Deh Cho we have the Edehzhie, we have Sambaa K’e, Ka’a’gee Tu, the Buffalo Lake, river and trails at K’atlodeechee, the Jean Marie River cabin cultural conservation area which is step five. They are all in step five. Then we then move on to the Sahtu and the Tlicho.
I am aware of the restrictions in the House of reading excessive detail. I would point out that we have had discussions with the Minister of Environment for the federal government, who is committed to trying to continue to include the candidate sites that have been identified throughout the Northwest Territories and the long history of the Protected Areas Strategy. I would be happy to share this detailed information with the Member. Thank you.
Madam Speaker, what is the position of the GNWT in terms of selecting areas for candidate areas for PAS initiatives at the local level? Mahsi.
This process is supposed to be community driven, which is what we focus and try to maintain as well as trying to find other supporting agencies to assist with that process, but initially there has to be some drive at the community level. Thank you.
Madam Speaker, is there a position at the GNWT in terms of ensuring that there is a balance between conservation and also economic initiatives? Does the GNWT have a policy on that? Mahsi.
We do have a Sustainable Development Policy. Work is underway for the Land Use Sustainability Framework which will incorporate that sustainability policy into a broader land use framework. We do try to strike the balance across the North in terms of land that is open for development and land that has been put aside for conservation and protection purposes. That figure ranges anywhere from 45 to 50 percent. It has to be unencumbered, 50 to 60 percent. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. What steps would the department entertain to ensure that the success of the PAS initiative for the Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation is concluded? Mahsi.
Madam Speaker, there is work underway. Recent meetings were just held. The GNWT, in order to assist this program, has to get its thinking clear both on the boundary, which they haven’t finally resolved, as well as the issue of surface and subsurface protection. Other than that, this process I think has moved forward. I understand the meetings were very productive. We intend to get back to the rest of the parties through this process in the near future. Thank you.
The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
