Member for the Sahtu.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm encouraged and we, the GNWT, depend on our federal counterparts, as you know, for many sources of funds for various initiatives. Is there other opportunities that the department is pursuing within the business plan for this fiscal year to access further federal funding?

Take climate adaptation for example, we are the victims of climate change, no doubt, and it's been said by the Minister a number of times that our global environment is warming 4 percent faster. So to address that, there should be ongoing discussions with climate change adaptation. I'm just wondering if the department actively involved in federal negotiations for various pots of money. Thank you.

Minister for Environment and Climate Change.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, Madam Chair, I think this is a very good question. And currently we are signatories to 40 federal funding agreements in a variety of areas across the department. And certainly, it's top of mind from the department to explore every opportunity with the federal government to access any potential funding pots available. And I'd also just like to add that they've done a really good job of, you know, working with the federal government to try and reduce the amount of contribution -- or forms of contribution that the GNWT has to make to these agreements. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Member for the Sahtu.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to thank this department for taking an aggressive role in accessing maximum opportunities of federal access for funds here, and it's very encouraging to see and hear. Particularly in coming from my area, you know, I can really sincerely relate to the aggression taken by this department. You know, I can come around and say well, I got no water, no road, and it's costly to fly, so I'm glad to see this department pursuing 40 agreements. That's complimentary. Mahsi.

Minister for Environment and Climate Change.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'll pass to director St. Arnaud, and she can give -- provide some detail on some of the agreements. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Director St. Arnaud.

Thank you. Member for the Sahtu.

Nothing further, Madam Chair.

I have Member for Monfwi.

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Fur price program and CHAP and then take your -- take a child trapping, those are all good programs. I know that they are all good programs, and they are being well used by many of the community members and schools because we use those for food, and it's a good learning experience for the young people. They learn. In the whole process, they learn to have respect for their land, for the environment. And so it's good in many ways, you know, like, because there is a lot of respect. We're trying to get our young people -- we can never -- we know that -- because of the Green Peace, our people used to rely on trapping, you know, fall, spring, and it sustain us, and it still is too for clothing now. So in here, there's a fur price program and all these other program, CHAP, and take your child -- or take a child trapping. How is the funding allocated?

Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'll pass that to director St. Arnaud.

Director St. Arnaud.

Member for Monfwi.

Thank you. Thank you for the information. It's good. The other part too is the conservation planning, and it's the same. You know, it's -- it's -- that is also important too for -- because we're trying to teach our young people about the conservation as well. So according to the budget here, for the new fiscal year there is a big change within the budget from previous. It went down significantly from 645 to 215. Why; why is there a big change within that budget?

Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

Thank you, Madam Chair. If you would indulge me for a moment, I just wanted to go back to the previous question just for a moment.

I just wanted to point out that there's been somewhat of a decline in the fur program over the last little while. So to try and offset that, we've been offering more workshops and courses to try and prop up the industry and give sort of some more incentives to get more folks involved. So for this specific question, the decrease in funding is due to the sunsetting of the nature agreement but now that we've signed new bilateral nature agreement, that will return back into the budget in a future iteration. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Member from Monfwi.

Thank you. And then for the disaster compensations, it's -- you know, it says here that, you know, grants available to hunters and trappers to replace equipment lost as a result of natural disaster.

That -- I know this is for natural disaster, but there's also the one for the forest fire as well. So there are two separate, you know. So I just wanted to ask the Minister if -- I know that, you know -- I got quite a few phone calls because of the wildfire. It's within the next section. But I -- that is also a natural disaster as well, you know, but -- so I know that I got a lot of phone calls because of the infrastructure that was destroyed along Highway No. 3. It's not just that one, but it's also in other regions as well. And in Behchoko as well too, you know, we have -- we lost four infrastructure. We lost four houses in my community. So I want to ask the Minister, with all the applications received for compensations, it would be nice to get a report, the status of the application, if all the people that submitted the application if they were compensated to date. Thank you.