Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could the Minister indicate the status of the review of the fire centre that was going to be done? I am also interested in any plan to have a comprehensive inventory done of timber. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Minister Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The review of the fire centre and its operations located in Fort Smith is not complete. I am not certain when that review will be complete. In regard to survey of timber resources in the western part of the Northwest Territories, that is being done on an ongoing basis, on a needs basis. We are doing it on a more specific, side-by-side basis. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Kakfwi. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could the Minister clarify if it would be done in areas that are under a certain amount of pressure from the forest industry, such as the Liard area or around the South Slave, where there are a number of lumbering initiatives? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Kakfwi.

Yes, that is correct. We will work with communities and groups that are advocating timber harvests in specific areas. We would view those to be a party. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Mr. Miltenberger.

My final question on that particular issue, Mr. Chairman, is having an up-to-date inventory a requirement before any substantial leases or timber cutting permits are given out so we have an idea of the impact and the reserve of timber that may be there and the kinds of timber that are being requested to be cut?

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Where we do not have a comprehensive survey of timber inventory, where there is a request made, we tend to be very cautious, but we do not outright reject the request. In some cases, because we do permits on a year-by-year basis or approval on a year-by-year basis, with usually a condition that there be some effort made by the community to come up with a management plan that would look at trying to establish the inventory and a management plan that would tell us and the businesses what is sustainable with the inventory. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. I have operations and maintenance, Mr. Erasmus and Mr. Ootes. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Erasmus. Mr. Kakfwi.

Mr. Chairman, I am not certain if there is a specific policy as the Member is referring to. I do know that we do have some regulations and policies that guide the department in dealing with requests by communities and businesses to harvest timber. We do have guidelines and prescribe the approach that we take to deal with these applications. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Erasmus. Minister Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do not think it leads to that. This business of getting into timber harvesting is not one that is commercially viable in all regions. It has been done in the South Slave for a number of years. I am not sure how commercially viable they have been as stand-alone operations. We know that in the Liard/Deh Cho region, it is commercially viable, but very often it is more an area of where you cut down the timber and ship them out for processing in the south. We do have a policy, again I am not certain that this is one policy or one that is a series of policies or whether they are even written. I know it is our approach to support timber harvesting where it is viable in terms of the inventory and it is sustainable. That it is done on a good management basis. There is a management plan either in place or expected to be in place within an acceptable time frame by the local or regional people involved. It is harvested and processed in the Northwest Territories as much as possible. Trying to create jobs and substantially more benefits than there would be if we just allowed for businesses to cut down the trees and then ship them down south for processing. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Erasmus. Mr. Kakfwi.

Mr. Chairman, we have extensive discussions with the communities regarding timber harvesting. For instance, in the Fort Liard, we have worked with the communities there to develop acceptable co-management plans for the potential harvest of timber in the immediate areas. We do consult with the communities when issuing licences and permits. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Mr. Erasmus.