Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As far as forest management, I think that Mr. Antoine has a good idea in terms of nurseries for trees in the north. What is happening at the present time is there are seeds taken from the north in areas that we know are going to be harvested to nurseries in the south where they are grown to a certain length. Then, they are brought back into the same area in which the seeds came from. So, in effect, what is happening is we're growing trees at a much faster rate than if they had been nursed in the north.

Because the trees are grown in a nursery, they should not have any of the larvae that Mr. Antoine has indicated were seen. I don't know where the larvae would be coming from because the trees that are brought in from the south are from seeds that come from the north in the area in which they are to be planted. They should not have any kind of infestation. The Department of Renewable Resources, especially in the area of forest management, would be willing work with anyone who would like to try out a nursery somewhere in the north. We would be more than willing to work with anyone who will try this out.

As far as fur grading is concerned, the grading and cleaning which has been discussed by Mr. Antoine is a possibility. As we continue to progress, this is something that would be possible. At the present time, the department is working on getting a trainee to work with a fur grading centre and possibly return to the north and work on grading and cleaning in the north. However, to try to create an auction in the north would be somewhat more difficult. It would be difficult to attract the biggest buyers from around the world to come north. It might be something that might be considered at a later time.

At the present time, we, as a department, are looking into fur grading and the possibility of cleaning furs in the Northwest Territories. Exactly how that will look I'm not sure at the present time. The first step we are taking is hiring a trainee, someone willing and able to learn to grade and clean fur. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.