(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have comments under the pollution control. The Hunters' and Trappers' Associations in the communities have noticed and have brought things that have been left on the land, on the environment, so that they are helping towards a cleaner environment. The Minister knows, every year, the funding from the territorial government is becoming less and less for everything. There is not enough for the hunters and trappers, for them to look after, and to use the funding that they get from the territorial government is not enough.

I have a concern on this matter, because the federal government has to have more input into this and they give such a small amount of funding, that they give to the territorial government, and the amount of funding they provide is not enough to be given to each community.

Perhaps Environment Canada should be working together with the Hunters' and Trappers' Associations and that they be briefed because they are helping towards a cleaner environment and that could they be provided more funding. This was my concern.

(Translation) Thank you, Ms. Mike. Mr. Minister, do you have comments?

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I stated earlier that the communities, we can assist the communities in the cleaning of the environment, closer to their community. The Green Plan from the federal government and also the environmental strategy have funding under this program. However, our department cannot request further funding, and the federal government cannot give us more funding. However, if in the territories, we can assist them for a cleaner environment, and further to the community, the funding that we give to the communities and to H.T.A.s under contributions, I am presently trying to change, so that the community has more input on how the funding is allocated to the smaller communities, and to the Hunters' and Trappers' Associations under other bodies have their own guidelines. We would like, at present time, to try and change this policy, so that the communities will have more control of the funding that they get from us. Thank you.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I am aware of the Green Plan funds that are available for environmental clean up, these are limited resources, these are not going to be ongoing funds that the federal government makes available. On this pollution control again, we just have a little wee portion of federal responsibility. Just like the fisheries. What I was saying in the communities, most of the families who do go out of the community to their original hunting grounds, to do wildlife harvesting, most of them, they are very good in bringing their own garbage back to the community. There are also others that do not, and this usually becomes the responsibility of the Hunters' and Trappers' Association. I know that the H.T.A.s do receive small funding for operational purposes, but that is never enough, even to pay to keep their records in order, to hire somebody. If we were to translate the amount of work that the H.T.A.s do, on behalf of Renewable Resources, it would translate into much more than what they are presently given annually. With the amount that we are provided with on pollution control, most of it, more than half of it, is for salary and wages, and nothing really for the actual work.

What I was wondering, would it be possible for your department to negotiate with Environment Canada, and use our hunters and trappers as a tool for your negotiations, and translate the amount of time and efforts that are spent on doing cleaning up, environmental cleaning up? Maybe, perhaps, your department would be able to obtain more funding in this area.

Thank you. Honourable Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The suggestion is a very good one, we could work with the H.T.A.s in pursuing possible revenues from Environment Canada. We will look at that. Thank you.

Can we proceed with activity summary, pollution control, total O & M of $722,000. Agreed?

Agreed.

Thank you. Page 12-15, field operations, total O & M of $8.366 million. Agreed?

Agreed.

Thank you. Regional land use planning, total O & M of nil. Agreed?

Agreed.

Thank you. Here is a very interesting program. Ms. Mike.

Mr. Chairman, can we go back to page 12-15?

Does the committee agree that we go back to page 12-15? Agreed?

Agreed.

Proceed, Ms. Mike.

Yes, this is another area where I do have concerns. I am not from Yellowknife, but I will speak on it. Two winters ago now, well, I do have friends here who keep me informed of what goes in this town. The Minister, in his statement, stated that they are concentrating on conservation. I cannot remember whether it was last winter, or the winter before that, when the caribou herd was really close to Yellowknife. There were a large number of carcasses left behind, and the hindquarters just taken. I am wondering how many Renewable Resources people we have in this area to keep an eye out for harvest waste that occurs near Yellowknife.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Right in Yellowknife, we have three plus one trainee patrolmen, plus two out of Fort Rae. Thank you.

Thank you. Ms. Mike.

Depending on the movement of the caribou, because it differs from year to year, on the years that the caribou movement gets closer to Yellowknife, maybe perhaps, would it be possible to put in more enforcement out on the field to keep the look out on waste of harvest? I believe it is illegal to be leaving caribou carcass out to waste. You cannot even feed it to dogs.

Thank you. Honourable Minister.