All of us understand the need to protect our environment.

In response to growing community concerns about industrial activity and community growth, this budget provides nearly $1.4 million to enable our government and communities to ensure that the environment is protected. Initiatives funded in this budget include:

• • adding regional response and enforcement capacity;
• • cumulative effects monitoring;
• • gathering baseline biophysical data along the Mackenzie Valley in anticipation of a gas pipeline;
• • environmental contamination clean-up;
• • holding an Elders' Workshop on Climate Change; and
• • continuing implementation of the protected areas strategy.

All of these actions must be taken in co-operation with aboriginal governments.

Work that began last fall on our Energy Strategy continues. We anticipate having a draft strategy available for public consultation during the summer of 2002. The objective of this strategy will be to define the Northwest Territories interests in energy and understand energy consumption patterns in our communities and how we can most economically provide environmentally friendly energy. The strategy should identify new energy management initiatives in addition to the Renewable Energy Incentive Program begun in 2001-2002.