Thank you, Mr. Chair. The 2014-2015 Main Estimates for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources propose total operational expenses of $87.5 million for the upcoming year. This represents a 22 percent or a $16 million increase from last year’s budget primarily for increased program and services due to devolution.

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.

This mandate will be further strengthened as of April 1, 2014, when the department assumes responsibility for the management of onshore water resources.

During the 2014-15 fiscal year, activities within the department will increase to meet our enhanced role in the broader regulatory environment, particularly in the areas of water, conservation, environmental monitoring and stewardship.

A major expense is the creation of two new divisions for the department with $10.7 million allocated for the water resources division and $8.4 million for conservation, assessment and monitoring.

The water resources division will ensure the water resources stewardship and management objectives of our government are met in an integrated and timely manner.

Division staff will be responsible for providing technical advice to Northwest Territories boards that issue water licences; coordinating the process for ministerial approval of both Type A and B water licences; ensuring knowledge to make water resource management decisions and develop water resources programs is current and relevant to the Northwest Territories; and continuing the effective implementation of the Water Stewardship Strategy guided by the principles of ecosystem-based management within watersheds and the use of the

best available scientific, local and traditional knowledge.

The Taiga Environmental Lab, which offers services to public and private enterprises throughout the North to help support environmental decision-making, will be managed by the water resources division.

The new conservation, assessment and monitoring division will ensure the environment is seriously considered in regional land use planning and the review of proposed development in the NWT.

Division staff will lead the development of a territorial ecological representative network; oversee departmental participation in environmental impact assessment and regulatory processes as well as regional land use planning.

The department also assumes responsibility for the NWT Cumulative Impacts Monitoring Program to ensure legal and land claim requirements of cumulative impact monitoring is undertaken in the NWT on April 1st . The program administers $3.4

million to coordinate, support and conduct monitoring-related initiatives in the NWT communities, which incorporate both scientific and traditional knowledge.

Besides the positions transferring from the federal government, four new positions are being proposed for the department. Two positions will be going to the Sahtu to help deal with the workload from increased oil and gas exploration activity. The other two positions will be assisting in negotiations of transboundary water agreements with Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

We will continue to work collaboratively with Aboriginal governments, communities and the public to protect our environment and ensure the wise and sustainable use of our resources.

For example, the department will work with Aboriginal governments, communities and stakeholders to implement the new Wildlife Act and NWT Water Stewardship Strategy Action Plan; negotiate and implement bilateral transboundary water agreements with Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan; provide support for wildlife co-management regimes, regional land use planning and sustainable forest management; and advance efforts to deal with climate change adaptation and mitigation.

We will also continue to build partnerships with other parties involved in land and water management decisions, including Aboriginal governments, regulatory and resource management authorities and other government departments. These partnerships will support further integration, collaboration and sharing of data and information needed to assess and make quality land and water use decisions.

I will touch briefly on some of the other major activities planned for the 2014-15 fiscal year.

The department and the Canadian Water Network are working in partnership to develop a practical community-based cumulative effects monitoring framework, with participation from the Slave River Delta Partnership and researchers from the University of Saskatchewan.

We will also continue to work with communities and other departments on community source water protection planning and community-based monitoring to ensure our communities have clean drinking water.

Caribou remain an important issue for residents and implementation of the Barren Ground Caribou Management Strategy is a priority for the department.

During the next fiscal year, we will be working with our partners on management plans, monitoring the recovery of the herds and improving harvest reporting.

Work has started with co-management partners, industry and stakeholders to develop a range management plan for the Bathurst caribou. This work will continue through 2014-15.

Funding of $425,000 will be used to increase monitoring of Boreal caribou to comply with the National Recovery Strategy for Woodland Caribou and to develop a range plan for the NWT population.

ENR’s role in strengthening and diversifying our economy is to promote and support sustainable development in the Northwest Territories.

Our role in this process, as of April 1st , is to

coordinate departmental participation in the environmental assessment process, provide advice on measures to be taken to protect or mitigate impacts on the environment and ensure the measures have been taken.

We are also responsible for assessing, monitoring and mitigating impacts of development on our forests, waters, wildlife and wildlife habitat, which requires good and accurate baseline data.

This is particularly important in the Sahtu region where more than $650,000 will be used to deal with the increased oil and gas exploration activity and to coordinate regional environmental monitoring and research on surface water, groundwater, wildlife and wildlife habitat in the area.

The development of sustainable forest economies provides opportunities to build capacity and local employment in many of our communities. ENR is helping communities realize forest industry opportunities through local forest management agreements.

We plan to have forest management agreements in place with Fort Resolution and Fort Providence by the end of this fiscal year. Implementation of these agreements includes timber harvest and business planning.

Increased funding of almost $2 million, provided through the Energy Action Plan, will be used to support and promote the use of alternative energy sources, such as biomass, solar and wind, to help reduce energy costs and greenhouse emissions in our communities.

ENR, with the addition of experienced staff transferring to the Department from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, will continue to pursue an aggressive agenda to ensure the sustainable use of our natural resources and protection of our environment.

We will remain diligent in our efforts to work collaboratively with Aboriginal governments, management partners and all Northerners to protect our environment and ensure the wise and sustainable use of our resources. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.