Yes, I would, Madam Chair.

I am pleased to speak to the 2013-2014 main estimates for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The plan proposes total operational expenses of $71.5 million for the upcoming year. This represents an 8.9 percent, or $5.8 million, increase from last year’s budget.

The bulk of this increase is attributed to forced growth adjustments of $5.3 million to cover increased costs for forest fire operations and suppression, preparing for increased oil and gas exploration and development in the Sahtu and completing negotiations on a transboundary water agreement with Alberta and $1.6 million in energy initiatives. This increase was offset by a $1 million reduction due to funding sunsets and other adjustments.

As Members are aware, the mandate of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is to promote and support the sustainable use and development of our natural resources and to protect, conserve and enhance the environment for the social and economic benefit of all residents.

The department also supports and promotes the priorities of the 17th Legislative Assembly as

outlined in Believing in People and Building on the Strength of Northerners.

A range of activities are proposed to uphold this mandate and this Assembly’s priorities. I would like to highlight a few key investments planned for the next fiscal year.

We are investing an additional $2.5 million to the fire suppression base funding to allow the department to adequately plan and respond to forest fire activity without the recurring risk of exceeding its appropriated amount. An increase to the suppression budget was requested by the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure.

The fire suppression budget has remained static for the past five years and has proven to be insufficient to meet demands in four out of five of those years. The department is also receiving additional funds to cover cost increases for 11 contract forest fire management crews, to provide training for firefighters and to cover increases in the volume and price of aviation fuel for aircraft including helicopters and CL-215 and L-188 Electra aircraft.

As Members requested, we have identified an additional $1.6 million for our energy initiatives. This will result in increased funding for alternative energy technology, commercial energy conservation and efficiency, and energy efficiency incentive programs. Other key activities include ongoing delivery of the Greenhouse Gas Strategy, funding of regional energy advisors in Inuvik, Norman Wells, Behchoko and Fort Simpson, a community scale wind demonstration project in an Arctic Coast community, and installation of remote

smart grids to help improve the efficiency, reliability and sustainability of the production and distribution of electricity.

The department will also continue implementing the NWT Biomass and Solar Energy strategies.

Increased oil and gas activity in the Sahtu region may result in significant environmental impacts. A coordinated approach to collecting baseline information will allow us to monitor these impacts and ensure we have the appropriate information to make informed decisions related to development in the Sahtu. Additional resources have been allocated for a new environmental protection officer position in the Sahtu region and for gathering environmental baseline data.

We continue to make good progress in our negotiations on a bilateral transboundary water resources management agreement with Alberta. Additional funding has been identified to continue this important work which includes Section 35 consultation with Aboriginal governments and regional workshops on the development of Northwest Territories positions for the bilateral agreement negotiations.

The department continues its work on a range of activities which address the priorities of building a strong and sustainable future for our territory, and strengthening and diversifying our economy.

Key activities for the 2013-2014 fiscal year include protecting territorial waters, mitigating and adapting to climate change impacts, improving environmental stewardship and working collaboratively with Aboriginal governments, communities, industry and the public, to conserve our environment and ensure the wise and sustainable use of our resources.

This will be accomplished through the introduction of a new Wildlife Act during this session, the expansion of community-based water monitoring programs, the implementation of a number of wildlife management strategies and action plans including those for barren-ground caribou, boreal caribou and wood bison, the development of sustainable forest economies in our communities, the coordination of the government’s participation in the environmental assessment process, and the development and implementation of an electronic waste program.

ENR staff also continue to work with the devolution office to review, assess and analyze waste management sites identified for transfer to our government and plan for an orderly transfer of organizational records from the federal government.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide an overview of the department’s 2013-2014 main estimates. I look forward to discussing them in more detail. Thank you, Madam Chair.