Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment is pleased to provide its report on Bill 74, Forest Act, and commends it to the House. Report on Bill 74, the Forest Act.

Executive Summary

The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment was tasked with reviewing Bill 74: Forest Act in the final year of the 19th Legislative Assembly. Committee reviewed Government of the Northwest Territories policies, programs, and legislation related to forest management as Bill 74 is intended to change how the GNWT manages and protects forests, communities, and values threatened by wildfire. Committee travelled to four communities during its review and engaged with stakeholders and the public at large.

Committee recognizes that Bill 74 is the first legislation to be developed collaboratively with Indigenous governments and co-management bodies in accordance with the Intergovernmental council on Land and Resource Management: Legislative Development Protocol. Bill 74 is also the first legislation to be reviewed under the "Process Convention for the Introduction, Consideration and Enactment of Bills Drafted Pursuant to the Intergovernmental council Legislative Development Protocol." While this is a first for the NWT, the territory is the only jurisdiction in Canada where the legislative branch of government reviews laws not just with the executive branch but also with Indigenous governments. Committee also considered this precedent setting legislation, the input we received, and reflected on the review process generally. All this information informs a range of recommendations to the GNWT with the intent and purpose of improving forest management and wildfire prevention in the NWT.

Recommendation 1: Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the GNWT undertake an independent third-party comprehensive review of GNWT fire prevention and suppression with public engagement. This review should consider the policy framework, coordination with other governments and agencies, funding for these activities, as well as departmental practices concerning firefighter safety. The findings of the review be made publicly available on a GNWT website.

Recommendation 2: Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the department review what information it can and should provide regarding its internal interactive fire databases, its communication efforts and how information is presented and organized on its website to improve access to and knowledge of fire prevention and suppression activities and practices.

Recommendation 3: Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that there be an annual meeting between relevant GNWT departmental staff and each community to review values at risk, fire prevention and suppression preparedness, coordination of efforts, and related matters.

Recommendation 4: Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that representatives from technical working groups should meet with standing committee earlier in the process, closer to the beginning of the co-drafting process, to discuss opportunities to share information on policy options and policy intentions for resource management legislation.

Recommendation 5: Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that if the overall legislative timeframe allows, there should be the ability to extend standing committee reviews of resource management bills to allow for completion of the collaborative review process.

Recommendation 6: Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that exchanges between standing committees, the departments and technical working groups on the review of resource management bills should be made public where possible and documented in committee reports on resource management bills.

Recommendation 7: Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that Departments undertaking the co-drafting of resource management legislation and regulations should secure additional resources for this process and conduct more robust public engagement.

Recommendation 8: Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that departments undertaking the co-drafting of resource management legislation and regulations should share more information with the public about policy options and policy intentions and conduct public engagement earlier in the process (i.e., not wait until the end of the co-drafting process). Public engagement can and should run concurrently with the co-drafting process.

Recommendation 9: Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the Department of Environment and Climate Change prepare a detailed budget and work plan for continued co-development of regulations necessary for a new Forest Act, allowing for more public engagement on those regulations and the implementation of its new responsibilities under a new Forest Act.