Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I didn't know that some members of my riding were in. I see Bertha Catholique up there; she's an interpreter from Lutselk'e now, and Vance Anderson, who is my grandson's father. Thank you.

Masi. Mr. Beaulieu has got all connections throughout the Northwest Territories. Recognition of visitors in the gallery.

I, too, would like to welcome the Language Board, the Revitalization Board, to our proceedings. It's always great to have an audience as part of our proceedings. More specifically, I guess, Tammy Steinwand-Deschambeault for doing all the great work for our region, and Ms. Sheila Warren, who is originally from Behchoko and now she is living in Hay River. She's still known as a Behchoko resident. Another one I would just like to highlight is newly anointed Dr. Angela James. Welcome to our proceedings. Doing such great, fantastic work. Keep up the great work!

---Applause

And, of course, I'm recognizing Brad Firth as well, aka "Caribou Legs." Keep up the great work, and also all the Rangers who are here with us and just for making a difference. Mahsi for being here with us. If we missed anybody in this part of the proceedings, welcome. It's always great to have an audience. Masi.

Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. Earlier today I spoke about the importance of the traditional economy. Mr. Speaker, my question is: how many people subscribe to the Genuine Mackenzie Fur Program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a program that we're quite proud of, and it seems to have been working for trappers across the NWT. I can tell the Member that close to 700 trappers a year for the last three years have participated in the Genuine Mackenzie Fur Program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It's good to see that quite a large number of trappers apply to this program. Mr. Speaker, my second question is: how does ENR work with ITI to measure the value of the traditional harvesting economy in the Northwest Territories?

We have a protocol agreement between ENR and ITI to deliver the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program, including the utilization of a fur harvesters database. The fur harvesters database records and tracks the monetary value, the quality, and the number of individual species that have been sold at auctions.

It's good to see that the departments are working together to collect this data which is important for funding programs. Actually, that leads to my third question, Mr. Speaker: how does ENR work with the hunters' and trappers' associations to collect accurate data from harvesters?

ENR they work very closely with the harvesters within our regional and area offices during the trapping season. The harvesters, they bring in their raw animal pelts that they’ve harvested in order to be shipped and sold at auctions. All this information is collected by ENR and entered into the fur harvesters’ database.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the response. Mr. Speaker, my final question is: how does ENR work with hundreds of trappers' associations to ensure its program such as the Hunters and Trappers' Disaster Compensation Program are responsive to the needs of harvesters and the evolution of the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our regional and area renewable resource officers are available to work with our local hunters' and trappers' associations to share information, deliver updates, and provide on-the-ground support related to harvesting including information on all the programs that are offered, including the disaster compensation. We are currently reviewing our Traditional Economy Program and looking at ways to be more responsive to meet the needs of local harvesters.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, previously in the House I raised a question to the Minister responsible for Lands on the issue of land use planning; specifically, the mandate committee to finalize land use plans. Today, I want to turn that line of questions towards the Yellowknife area, and specifically what is being done to finalize a land use plan for Yellowknife and the surrounding areas. Thank you.

Masi. Minister of Lands.

Mr. Speaker, the government is, of course, working to establish effective and durable relationships with the Aboriginal government on land use planning. In those areas where there is no plan that has been established or agreed upon, we are developing under the recreational leasing management framework in the Yellowknife peripheral area plans that will assist us in the interim before land use plans are finalized with Aboriginal groups. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Recreational Land Use Planning Framework, does that only deal with recreational land, as its name would imply, or does it deal with all other types of land that would be subject to a land use plan?

As the name would imply, it is dealing with recreational lands. Again, much of the Northwest Territories, there are comprehensive land use plans established by those areas that there are not. These are seen as interim steps.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think our capital region is, of course -- there’s a significant population, like half the territory, that lives here and that wants to avail themselves of recreational opportunities, but also we have the Terra-X mining operation at the Yellowknife Gold Project that is seeking clarity around these issues. There are also our partners in Indigenous nations that are seeking clarity of these issues. Apart from the recreational land use framework, is anything being done by the department to clarify land use for Yellowknife and its surrounding areas?

Yes. As mentioned previously, we are attempting to regularize land use planning in the Northwest Territories. Hopefully with agreements with Aboriginal groups. It is a complex issue. In the meantime, as has been mentioned, there are interim arrangements that will take place through management planning for recreational lease and the Yellowknife peripheral area so that there can be some certainty in land leasing prior to comprehensive land claims being settled.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that it’s a complex issue and the Minister is doing his best to explain it in a way that fits into the question period. Can you make a commitment, then, to let to us know when this recreational framework will be completed and start having an effect on recreational land leases for Yellowknife? Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. I can make that commitment. I will keep Members of this house fully appraised as to progress.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.