Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to address my question to the Minister of Renewable Resources. I have been going through their submission to the committee that they deal with with regard to the forest sector. While they give very detailed information on the licences that they are handing out and the potential for development, I noticed, with considerable concern, there are repeated references to the fact that while we are handing out large timber licences, we have very little idea of the amount of timber we have available, its age, its location and the types. They make reference to inventories being old and outdated, or they're without proper inventories and it would be very difficult to enter any kind of long-term arrangements. There is tremendous potential in this area of our economy, and I would just like to ask the Minister if he could indicate to the House the steps they are taking to try to obtain a comprehensive inventory of this very valuable resources which, while it is renewable, takes a very long time to grow, so we can ensure that we manage this resource properly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Renewable Resources is planning to do a comprehensive inventory of timber in the Western Arctic. We have started in some areas; I believe, for instance, in the Hay River area we have completed the inventory. It takes two years minimum to do a proper inventory. In the case of the Fort Smith area, we hope to begin this summer, starting with aerial photos to identify the location, size and density of the timber resources. Hopefully, the inventory will be done over a two or three-year time period.

In the meantime," we are prepared to give support where there is community support to do so and where the consultation process provides support for the applicants to give approval for operators to do some minimal timber cutting while this inventory is being completed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I notice in this presentation that there are projects and potential projects stretching all the way from Fort Smith, Fort Liard, all the way up north to the Minister's riding. He indicates - which I think is very laudable and the potential, I know, is very great -- up to 800 direct jobs and 1,000 indirect jobs, so I think this is an area that bears much watching. I am concerned, Mr. Speaker, that while we can deal in the next couple of years specifically with individual requests, is there a plan in the department to ensure that we don't give away too much of the resource and find out after the fact that we were too generous in the timber permits that we've given out; not just south of the lake but throughout the Boreal Forest? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department also shares the same concern, but the department also takes the view that to allow, for instance, a community to harvest a minimum of 10,000 cubic meters of timber a year is very conservative. The resource, as we see it, can sustain that very easily. As applications are made, there is a consultation process for communities to have input into the feasibility and the manageability of the requests within the application. First of all, we'll proceed as quickly as we can to do an overall inventory of timber in the Western Arctic; then we will also begin developing a management plan cooperatively with communities so that communities will have hands-on control of the resource that we will identify through the inventory. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Minister that subsistence use by communities or small projects by communities are probably very manageable and sustainable. My underlying concern here is the increasing northward pressure by large forest interests who, as we've seen, sort of vacuum up and mow down all the resources and leave stubble and are very huge consumers of this resource. It indicates in this report that in fact this pressure is already there. I'm concerned more with that kind of initiative and venturing into the North, that we have very clear checks and balances in place that -- while we don't discourage economic activity of this nature -- we in fact make sure that we keep in mind the need of the communities and the sustainable development nature of this resource. Could the Minister just briefly comment on that particular issue? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Renewable Resources is always concerned about the profile and credibility that the government has, nationally and internationally, with regard to the way that we manage our resources, especially the renewable resource sector. Wildlife

harvesting and protecting of the environment and, in this case, timber harvesting will also be of equal concern. So we want to be very sure that we take steps to assure the people of the North, the communities and people of southern Canada and the business community that we will have a plan that will be a sustainable, cooperative management plan with regard to how we harvest and make use of the timber that we have in the Northwest Territories. It is true that some of the timber stands that we have, particularly in the Liard, are known to be very mature timber, which requires cutting. It is also true that the dangers of forest fires, particularly in areas where there are very dry seasons, could potentially wipe out large stands of timber and diminish the economic value of them. But we also know that, in areas where there have been fires, we are encouraging harvesting of these burnt timbers, since their economic value only has a lifespan of two or three years after the burn takes place. I want to assure the Member that we share the concern that he is suggesting and there will be no rape of the timber resources in the Northwest Territories for economic benefit and certainly not by timber companies from the South. Thank you.