Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Lands. I outlined some concerns with the process of significantly reducing the size of the land withdrawal for the reindeer grazing reserve. I fully understand that there was a consultation with Inuvialuit and Gwich'in, but there doesn't seem to have been any opportunity for the general public to comment.
So can the Minister explain why that land withdrawal reduction took place and tell us what public engagement also happened? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister responsible for Lands.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the land withdrawal order for the reindeer grazing reserve was originally established by the federal government in 1936, as the Member has said here in his Member's statement. The reindeer herd has never used the full area of the original land withdrawal. The very large withdrawal area resulted in local requests for leases being refused, including interest in cultural healing camps, personal cabins, and tourism lodging opportunities. Starting in 2021, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Lands engaged with the Gwich'in and Inuvialuit land claim organizations and wildlife management boards to consider a size reduction to the reserve. The land withdrawal change was completed in September of 2022. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. Of course, he managed to forget that there was no public engagement. But presumably the land withdrawal for reindeer grazing offered some conservation value to other species in the area, including migratory waterfowl, bears, and perhaps others.
Can the Minister tell us whether his department researched the conservation value of the land withdrawal for other species before deciding to drastically reduce its size and can he share any such assessment with the public? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The reindeer grazing herd was established under a land withdrawal order and never intended to be a protected area or a tool to manage and protect wildlife in the area. The GNWT's approach to reduce the size of the reserve to the area of existing herd activity was discussed with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation to ensure the needs of the reindeer herd were met. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Of course it's question period; we don't actually expect to get answers here but, you know, I asked whether there had been any assessment of other conservation values. The Minister didn't respond. There are authorities and plans in the reindeer reserve area, including the Gwich'in land use plan and Inuvialuit community conservation plans.
Can the Minister tell us whether the reductions in the land withdrawal are in compliance and consistent with these plans and whether the Gwich'in Land Use Planning Board and the Inuvialuit Joint Secretariat were consulted? Merci, Mr. Speaker. And I did give the Minister the questions ahead of time. Merci, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thank the Member for giving the questions ahead of time. Sometimes he doesn't like our answers, but we are giving him the answers, so.
The GNWT recognized the land withdrawal order overlapped with some Inuvialuit community conservation plans and some special management zones in the Gwich'in land use plan. As mentioned, ENR worked with lands to engage with the Gwich'in, Inuvialuit land claims organizations and the wildlife comanagement boards to consider a size reduction to the reserve. This engagement included Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Inuvialuit Joint Secretariat, Inuvialuit Game Council, YMAC, Gwich'in Tribal Council, and the Gwich'in Renewable Resource Board. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. Of course they didn't talk to the Gwich'in Land Use Planning Board, but that's okay.
Now that the land withdrawal has been significantly reduced, our government appears to have completed the work of the Conservatives in 2014 to open up this area for oil and gas. So can the Minister tell us when these areas slashed from the land withdrawal will be made available for oil and gas development and calls for expression of interest? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That wasn't our intention. I don't know if oil and gas wants it there. He has an article from 2014. The Liberal government is in power right now in Ottawa so I don't know what's going on there. So, Mr. Speaker, the land withdrawal change was completed in September of 2022. This means previous withdrawal land was returned available public lands. So it's public land. If people wish to use it for healing camps, cabins, tourism opportunities, that is available. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Order. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.
