Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a few follow-up questions to the Minister of ENR on my Member's statement here. Can the Minister tell us: a lot of communities are looking at fire smarting their projects? Has the department encouraged the communities to look at working with the company to use this excess material for building and making pellets? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, specific discussions with the communities haven't happened yet. This has been identified as an opportunity. It does make sense that, if there are opportunities there to use wood that has already been cut, then we should explore that. The actual discussions haven't happened with communities yet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Minister for that answer. I guess my next question is: how would the greenhouse-gas-savings calculations change if pellets burned were made from green lumber?
The report looking at greenhouse gas savings was based on utilizing green timber. It is generally understood that utilizing deadwood yields greater greenhouse gas savings than green wood. The fact that the wood pellets that are out there -- I believe they have to have a specific moisture content. I looked it up on the Environment Canada website. I believe it has to have a specific moisture content. My understanding is they dry the pellets and do not utilize green as much.
My final question in regards to this topic here today is: what limits has ENR established overall to the annual sustainable harvest of forests for the south and west of the Great Slave Lake?
The annual sustainable harvest level for the inventoried areas in the South Slave and Deh Cho combined is approximately 500,000 cubic metres per year.
Masi. Oral Questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
