Jim Antoine Nahendeh

The management of our renewable resources, which includes wise use, relates directly to the health of our environment and our economy. RWED has worked hard to promote the management and use of fur, forest, agriculture, et cetera. Mr. Speaker, I recently provided an update on our fur program and the results we are achieving.

We have also worked steadily at improving our forest inventories which need constant updating and are the basis for determining sustainable harvest levels. We are involving aboriginal governments through the development of forest management agreements. In addition, over 670,000 tree seedlings were planted through contracts with communities over the past four years to help renew our forests.

To assist our farming sector, Mr. Speaker, our government has signed the national agricultural policy framework agreement for the 21st Century, and a bilateral agricultural accord that will lever funding from the federal government. Members are also aware of the activities we undertook to deal with the recent outbreak of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, BSE.