Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a return to a written question asked by Mrs. Groenewegen on May 14, 1999.

Mr. Speaker, the Forest Management Act, which was proclaimed in 1988, authorizes forest management officers to inspect and make copies of books and records in the course of determining that the activity is in compliance with the act and regulations. The forest management regulations require that a timber operator keep records of timber cut, transported, processed, sold, etc., under the authority of a licence, permit or agreement. One use of this information is to verify deductions an operator may be eligible for with regard to timber cutting charges. For example, operators are allowed a deduction of $3.00 per cubic metre for processing raw logs into rough lumber. All information obtained is kept in strictest confidence, recognizing the sensitivity to the businesses concerned.

Forest inventory concerns the process of determining the vegetative structure and makeup of forests. Forest inventory is a structured process of classification of the vegetative cover from aerial photographs, followed by field verification of the classification and determination of timber volumes and other factors of interest to forest managers. Data collected in the past supplemented with updated information about past impacts (such as forest fires and harvests) and information about forest growth and yield over an entire land area are used to determine the structure and composition of northern forests.

The Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development is continuing to inventory northern forests. In 1999-2000, inventory work will include completion of updated forest volumes information and a timber supply analysis for the Cameron Hills area of the Northwest Territories and commencement of forest inventory programs in the Slave River lowlands (Fort Smith and Fort Resolution areas). Other projects of a minor nature will also be considered.

Forest inventory work is conducted under the Forest Development Program as described in the Main Estimates. In 1997-98, the department reallocated a portion of the unexpended forest fire suppression funds, following the quiet forest fire season, to address some of the backlog of work. In 1998-99, the forest suppression budget was exceeded. However, supplemental funds were approved by Cabinet to cover suppression expenditures. Therefore, forest inventory work was not affected by forest fire suppression budget overruns. In both 1997-98 and 1998-99, approximately $500,000 was expended for forest inventory contracts.