Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. Recently in Canada we experienced the unfortunate tragedies with forest fires overtaking communities. Here in the NWT, we are seeing recent trends of drought conditions.
Of course, in anticipation of the forest fire season, I want to ask the Minister whether all communities at risk of forest fires have a community protection plan in place. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Member; this is a serious concern. We have an initiative to work with communities through FireSmart, the communities across the North, all those in the boreal forest. Some are more advanced than others. The intent is to work with all communities to look at those types of plans. Thank you.
The community that I represent, Kakisa, I think the recent effort in 2012 was participating with ENR to develop at least a baseline to prepare for the eventuality that a fireguard will be established.
How often are community wildfire protection plans reviewed and updated? Mahsi.
We work at this on an ongoing basis, so most communities are at different levels of activity when it comes to those particular plans. Once they’re in, then the issue becomes maintenance, which tends to be problematic in some cases, especially given the rate of regrowth. In others, we are just struggling to find resources and use existing resources and fire crews, if they’re not busy, to work with communities. I don’t have the set schedule before me, but we do tend to get this done and maintain it. Thank you.
Is the Minister aware of any actions taken by the Ka’a’gee Tu First Nations in response to recommendations made in the Community Protection Plan? Mahsi.
No, Mr. Speaker. I’d have to ask the Member to refresh my memory. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand, in 2012 the community had identified a need for a fireguard around the community.
Will the department commit to work with Kakisa to update the Wildfire Protection Plan prior to 2014? Mahsi.
I am as happy to say yes to this fourth question as I would be happy to say yes to the first question. Yes.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
