Since devolution, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has been responsible for managing public land, water and resources onshore in the Northwest Territories (NWT). The federal government kept its responsibility for offshore resources. As a part of devolution, the GNWT committed to establishing agreements with the Government of Canada and participating NWT Aboriginal governments to foster the coordination of land and resource management, while respecting each government’s jurisdictional authority.

Coordinating Onshore and Offshore Resource Management

Devolution transferred the responsibility for managing onshore resources only to the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT). The Government of Canada retained its responsibility for offshore resources in the NWT.

The NWT Lands and Resources Devolution Agreement incorporates an agreement among the Government of Canada, GNWT and Inuvialuit Regional Corporation to coordinate the administration of onshore and offshore resources. This commitment to collaboration will promote efficiency and foster best practices in the management of these resources across jurisdictions.

Coordinating Resource Management on Public and Settlement Lands

Regional Aboriginal governments own, or will own, substantial amounts of land in the NWT as part of their settled land claims. The NWT Lands and Resources Devolution Agreement establishes a new Intergovernmental Council to facilitate cooperation on land and resource management  across jurisdictions among the GNWT and participating Aboriginal governments. To learn more about the Intergovernmental Council, please visit their website at http://www.igcnwt.ca/.

Devolution cannot result in any government having a veto over the decisions of another government. However, it is in northern governments’ common interest to work collaboratively on land and resource management. Through greater cooperation, northern governments can find efficiencies, share capacity, and foster best practices that will benefit all residents, investors and governments in the NWT.