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2TuesdayMarch42014NEWSBRIEFSBevingtonelectedvice-chairofArcticParliamentariansconferenceWesternArcticMPDennisBevingtonhasbeenvotedvice-chairfortheConferenceofArcticParliamentariansCAPabodyofparliamentaryrepresentativesfromtheArcticstates.BevingtoncurrentlytheofcialOppositionmem-berforNortherndevelopmentinCanadawasvotedintothevice-chairpositionbytheCAPstandingcommitteeinOt-tawaonMonday.BevingtonsaidhewillberaisingNorth-ernCanadianissuesattheCAPsnextbiennialconferencewhichisscheduledthisSept.9to11inWhitehorse.TheCAPsmainpriorityistosupporttheworkoftheArcticCouncilcurrentlychairedbyCanadauntilMayof2015.MtiscourtcaselaunchesinYellowknifeThecivilcourtcasethatwilldeneTreaty11MtisrightsintheNorthSlavebeganlastweekinYellowknife.Thecasewaslaunchedin2005whentheterritorialgovern-mentaccusedMtismanClemPauloftrespassingonCrownlandwhenhebuiltacabinalongtheIngrahamTrailwithoutapplyingforpermits.AYellowknifejudgeheardfromlawyersonbothsidesattherstcourtmeet-inglastTuesday.PaulslawyerKenStarosziksaidheexpectsthetrialtotakethreetimeslongerthanapri-vatecivilcase.Thetrespassingcaseisexpectedtode-nerightsforTreaty11MtiswhomthegovernmentisarguingarealignedwiththecurrentTlichoagreement.YellowkniferintherunningforBestLocalCablePersonalityYellowkniferMaximBloudovthehostofthelocalNWTtelevisionshowMaximumLimitFishinghasbeennomi-natedforalocalcablepersonalityawardfromtheCana-dianCableAlliance.BloudovsshowgoingintoitsfthseasontakesviewersonanewanglingadventureeachepisodetoexploretheNWTslakesandriversandshareshingtipsandtechniques.BloudovtheonlynomineefromtheNWTisupagainstthreeotherpersonalitiesforthenationalaward.TovoteforBloudovgoonlinetohttpwww.iheartlocalcable.cavote.VotingclosesMay31.THETHEBACHALOPPETORGANIZINGCOMMITTEEwouldliketothankthefollowingfortheirsupportandhelpinmakingthe2014ThebachaLoppetasuccessSmithsLandingFirstNationIndustryTourismandInvestmentTownofFortSmithDepartmentofTransportationRiverRidgeStaffCrewFortSmithCurlingCentreFreundsConstructionCanadianRangersJeffDixonJeanMorinJasonPanterRogerHoltorfLauraAubreyDonJaqueDonTrueJanieHobartRickDaitchGwenPischingerRangerBrendaJohnsonRangerHarleyFreundBartHartopKarlCoxAndtoallofthepeoplewhopitchedintohelpwithmanytaskstohostThebachaLoppet2014ThreedepartmentsonewindowthenewNWTregulatorByMEAGANWOHLBERGRegulatoryresponsibili-tieswillbesharedacrossthreedepartmentswithinthegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesasofApr.1butforindustrialproponentsthatsystemisgoingtobeaseamlessonestopshopaccordingGNWTofcials.Wewanttomakeitaseasyaspossibleforany-onewhocomesthroughthedoorthattheydonthavetogoknockingondoorstry-ingtondoutwheretheyresupposedtogoandwewillbeabletogetthatprocessstartedEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesENRMinisterMichaelMilten-bergertoldTheJournallastweek.Wehavetooperateasagovernmentintermsofbeingcoordinatedinthatwayhesaid.Weregoingtobemoreorganizedmoreintegratedmoreefcientandtimelythanthefederalgovernment.ThenewdepartmentofLandsisgoingtoactasleadquarterbackfortheone-windowsystemeldingtheapplicationsandcoordinat-ingtheprojectassessmentprocess.ThedepartmentofLandswillberesponsibleforco-ordinatingandconductingprojectassessmentsonpub-liclandsintheNorthwestTerritoriesfunctioningasasingle-windowfordevelop-mentapplicationsPremierBobMcLeodexplainedlastweekinthelegislature.ThiswillensurethatgovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesconsiderationofprojectsiscoordinatedtimelyandconsistent.Thoughoilgasandmin-eralapplicationswillheadonthroughtoITIallotherapplicationssuchasroadprojectsandrecreationalleaseswillbedealtwithbytheLandsdepartmentresponsibleformanagingallsurfacelandsdisposi-tionsincludingsalesandleasingforterritoriallands.Thedepartmentwillalsoberesponsibleforinspectionscomplianceenforcementandpolicyforthoselands.LandswillalsoestablishthenewSurfaceRightsBoardtoresolvedisputesrelatedtolandaccessandprovidecompensationtolandown-erswhenagreementscannotbereached.ThosepiecesofnewNWTlegislationwillworkintan-demwiththepartiallydel-egatedauthoritiesundertheMackenzieValleyResourcesManagementActMVRMA.ENRinchargeofwaterpartsofMVRMAThedepartmentofENRwillberesponsibleforwaterincludingtheapprovalofli-censesandcompliancein-spectionundertheNWTWatersAct.Itwillbethesecurityholderandmanagerforwaterlicencesandberesponsibleforinspectionsandenforce-mentofwateruse.Itwillalsoberesponsibleforregulatingthedepositofwasteregard-ingactivitiesanddevelop-mentsonorwhichimpactpubliclandsandwaterthepremiersaid.TheENRministerwillalsoberesponsibleformanyofthenewauthoritiesdel-egatedundertheMVRMAfollowingApr.1.Thoughthefederalmin-isterremainsprimarilyre-sponsiblefortheMVRMAforthenextveyearsau-thoritiesdelegatedtotheGNWTundertheactincludetheapprovalofTypeAwaterlicensesandsecuritiesforlandusepermitsdesigna-tionofinspectorsmonitor-ingofcumulativeimpactsenvironmentalauditsandparticipationinthedecision-makingprocessfollowingenvironmentalreviewsin-cludingthedistributionofreviewboardreports.ENRwillcontinuetoprovidetechnicalinputandadviceonwaterforestswildlifeandtheenvironmentthroughtheenvironmentalimpactandassessmentpro-cessMiltenbergersaid.Thedepartmentwillalsoprovidetechnicalandexpertadviceonguidelinesandregulationchangesneededforthemanagementofde-velopmentactivitiesintheNWT.UniedstanceonprojectsPriortodevolutionMilt-enbergersaidtheterrito-rialgovernmentwasseenasanancillarydecision-makerwithinthefederalprocesssortofanenvi-ronmentalwatchdogandastakeholder.NowthattheGNWTwillbetheprimarylegislatorre-sourceownerandregulatoraswellaspromoterthatrolehaschanged.Thatshifthassomewor-riedaboutthedepartmentsabilitiestoweighinonen-vironmentalassessments.WeledehMLABobBrom-leyexpressedconcernlastweekthatunlikethecur-rentfederalprocesswhereinvariousdepartmentslikeFisheriesandOceansandParksCanadacaninterveneseparatelyinthereviewprocessoncedevolutionoccursthatwillnolongerbepossible.AsofApr.1muchofthefederalcapacitywillbetrans-ferredtoGNWTdepartmentslikeENRITIandLandsbutallGNWTdepartmentswillberequiredtosubmittheiropinionstothedepartmentofLandswillconsiderthemandcreateasingleuniedGNWTpositiontobeap-provedornotbycabinetBromleysaid.EstablishingaunifiedstanceisimportantinordertopreventconfusionwithingovernmentandinthepublicMiltenbergersaidandwillbedonethroughthecoop-erationofalldepartments.Ourintentionistobeascoordinatedanduniedaspossiblehesaid.In-ternallyweregoingtodoourworkaswelltoensurethatbetweenLandsITIandENR-andyoucouldhaveotherdepartments...suchasHealth-wehaveaprocessthatscoordinated...inhowthatinformationgetsappliedtovariousapplicationsthatarereviewed.PoliticsRegulatoryPhotoAlasdairVeitchGNWTThedepartmentsofLandsEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesandIndustryTourismandInvestmentwillco-managethevarietyofapplicationsmadeforindustrialprojectsintheNorthwestTerritoriesafterdevolution.