1.2.5

Description: 
Through agreements with communities, we will help to establish and/or expand self-sufficient businesses that sell products from renewable resource harvesting.
Lead Dept: 
ENR
Priority: 
1.2
Status: 
Fulfilled
Restructured COC: 
Economy and Environment
Number: 
5
Deputy Minister Committee: 
Economy and Environment
Background Information: 

ECONOMY, ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Commitment 1.2.5 – Through agreements with communities, we will help to establish and/or expand self-sufficient businesses that sell products from renewable resource harvesting.

Forest Industry Development Strategy

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) is developing a Forest Industry Development Strategy (milestone 1). Working with the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI), the strategy will support the development of a viable forestry sector in the Northwest Territories, providing opportunities for jobs, training and economic development through the harvest and processing of timber for use as biomass and other products.

 

Forest Management Agreements (FMAs)

Forest Management Agreements (FMAs) are enabled under Section 9 of the Forest Management Act. The agreements allow for a partner to have long term rights to harvest wood from a defined area for the purposes of forest industry business development and growth (milestones 2 and 3).

 

FMAs are a recent development in the Northwest Territories (NWT). They are a made-in-the-north solution to provide business development opportunities to residents by offering:

  • a sustainable supply of timber for harvest;
  • a viable commercial use for the wood;
  • the ability to secure financing for equipment; and
  • an opportunity to participate in a range of forest management activities.

 

FMAs are intended to provide these key benefits to northerners:

  • Development of a new, sustainable forest industry sector.
  • Development of local and regional job opportunities and training.
  • Promotion of biomass energy substitution for fossil fuels.
  • Aboriginal participation in forest management planning.

The first two agreements were signed in 2015 with Timberworks Inc. in Fort Resolution, and Digaa Enterprises in Fort Providence. Both companies are Indigenous development corporations jointly owned by local Indigenous organizations.

Related Mandate Commitments:

  • Commitment 1.1.13 - We will support small communities by enhancing job-creation programs, building community capacity and supporting new economic opportunities, by: Implementing the Economic Opportunities Strategy.

  • Commitment 1.2.10 - We will build partnerships to expand resources available for community-based traditional economy programs, which could be used to support, amongst other things, local operators, culturally-based tourism, and the conservation economy.

  • Commitment 4.3.10 - We will finalize a strategic plan to enhance existing programming and build new partnership initiatives to support healthy and sustainable traditional lifestyles.