Thank you, Madam Chair. I just reserved some of my questions for later on in the detail. For the most part, I am kind of encouraged by the movement to engage communities in terms of trying to at least advance the whole biomass initiative. I think it is a very good initiative that complements the realities of community life, especially small communities where jobs are very few and industry is not very actively present in the communities to provide businesses plus job opportunities. I think right now I understand it that there are discussions ongoing with several communities. Perhaps some of them are more advanced than other communities. I think it’s a very significant undertaking and I am very interested in terms of the progress and the success of the initiative. I’d like to ensure that the communities that I represent are fairly involved with that.

Other matters I feel strongly about are in terms of how we are trying to advance the transboundary water agreement with other jurisdictions in terms of the effect on the fish population or the aquatic

species or aquatic life. As you know, we live along the Mackenzie. We are fairly dependent on the river for travel, but also at the same time, a diet of fish is very prominent in terms of trying to supplement people’s diet in small communities.

In terms of wildlife, I have stated my points in terms of concerns about the woodland caribou populations: whether we have been closely monitoring them, the status of the population in terms of their rank of whether there are a species at risk. I am also interested in terms of the moose population. Of course, living again from Fort Providence, we try to supplement our diet with food from the land, and the moose is fairly prominent in Dene culture. We need to ensure that we have mitigative measures in place to ensure that we properly manage and ensure the success of the moose population.

I am, of course, curious in terms of the bison recovery plan for Fort Providence. As you know, last summer was a fairly traumatic event for the bison population, and I would like to know, in terms of the bison recovery plan, in terms of some of the steps that have been taken to try to put some measures in place to ensure that the bison population does recover. I’d like to, maybe later on, ask some questions.

Of course, energy initiatives, I think, in some respects with small communities there is optimism that things are complementing at least the communities plus the environment around them that we value is workable. It is hoped for at least the immediate future for business opportunities, at the same time for at least trying to be advanced, a collaborative effort that I have seen thus far with governments and communities. I would like to know in terms of just how it is that the Land Use Framework is helping out in terms of trying to at least get a semblance of various initiatives in terms of whether it be conservation, whether it be environmental management, regulatory regime, and all the land claims that are happening, helping whether this framework is supposed to at least put things in a logical sense so that at least strategic decisions on the environment are made. Those are just a few of my comments. Thank you.