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EnvironmentMonitoring7TuesdayMarch182014ByMEAGANWOHLBERGAsgovernmentscram-blestobringinfrastructureandemploymenttrainingtotheSahtuinpreparationforacomingeconomicboompeopleonthegroundarealsoracingtoputinplaceanen-vironmentalmonitoringplanfortheregiontokeepindus-tryincheck.Trainingbeganlastweek-endnearDrumLakewhere12studentsarespendingthenexttwoweeksworkingtowardsbecomingcertiedenviron-mentalmonitorsthroughaprogramdesignedtocombineAboriginaltraditionalknowl-edgeandWesternscience.ThemainpurposeofthatcourseistosupportAborigi-nalinvolvementinthemoni-toringactivitiesthatwillbemoreandmorerequiredasexplorationanddevelopmentexpandssaidDeborahSim-monsexecutivedirectoroftheSahtuRenewableRe-sourcesBoardSRRB.Theregionalcourseistheresultofapartnershipbe-tweentheboardtheGNWTandAuroraCollegeandin-cludesstudentsfromfouroftheveSahtucommunities.ItsoneofthemanystepspeopleintheCentralMacken-ziearetakingtoreadythem-selvesfortheadventofanoilandgasrushifongoingex-ploratoryeffortspanoutandaccordingtoSimmonsthereisnotimelikethepresent.Itsareallyimportantini-tiativebecausewehavebeentoldbyeveryone-thecom-munitiesindustrygovern-ment-thattherereallyneedstobeastrongercapacityinmonitoringintheregionshesaid.RecentspeakersseriesempoweringSimmonssaidpeopleintheSahtuaredesperateformoreinformationonthepotentialimpactsofnotonlyhydraulicfracturingbutthepossiblecumulativeeffectsofhigh-pacedindustrialgrowthonthelandandwildlifethatpeo-pleinthesmallAboriginalcommunitiesrelyon.RecentlytheSRRBhostedleadersfromtheFortNel-sonFirstNationinBCwhosharedtheirexperiencesliv-inginthemidstofmassivefrackingoperationsanden-couragedpeopleintheSahtutogetaheadstartondevel-opingandowningmonitor-ingprogramsfortheregion.Simmonssaidthepresen-tationbyFortNelsonChiefSharleenGaleandlandsman-agerLanaLowehighlightedtheopportunitiespeopleintheSahtuhavetogetinvolvedandhaveasayintheprocessbasedontheframeworkthatexistswiththeAboriginalgovernmentsandco-man-agementboards.Wewerefeelingveryfor-tunateinmanywaysafterthatconversationwiththeFortNelsonFirstNationvisitorsSimmonssaid.PeoplewereprovokedtotakeontheirroleasdecisionmakerstotakemoreresponsibilityforresearchandmonitoringbecausetheywereverymuchtakingnoteofthemessagefromtheFortNelsonFirstNationchiefandlandsmanager...thattheynotjustsitbackandwatchthingshappenbuttheytakeownershipoftheirresponsibilitiesinmonitoringandinaddressingimpacts.NeedforcohesiveplanWhileempoweringinsomewaysSimmonssaidtheFortNelsonpresentationalsobroughttolightalackofpre-parednessintheSahtuforas-sessingcumulativeimpacts.Weremovingintoanewzoneandtryingtoenvisionhowthatwouldhappenandwhatthatwouldlooklikeshesaid.Simmonshopesthatgapwillbelledpartlybythenewlytrainedmonitorsbutacknowledgedthattheregionasawholewillhavetoworktogetheronacoordinatedmonitoringplancurrentlyinitsinitialstages.AnewSahtuRenewableResearchandMonitoringForumwasrecentlyestab-lishedincludingrepresenta-tivesfromeachcommunitysrenewableresourcescouncilyouthgovernmentindustryandtheSRRB.Apartfromholdingrespon-sibilityforestablishingbase-linewaterandwildlifecon-ditionsintheSahtushaleoilplaytheforumisalsowork-ingonbestpracticesandsys-temcohesion.Theyvealreadymetanddevelopedatermsofreferenceandstartedtodeveloptheirvi-sionforpriorityresearchandmonitoringintheregionandIexpectthattheyregoingtobestronglyinvolvedinthedevel-opmentofvariousguidelinesandframeworkdocumentsSimmonssaid.SahturacestocreatemonitoringplanforcomingboomPhotoscourtesyofSRRBByMEAGANWOHLBERGCloseto1000NWTresi-dentsmadetheirdissentof-ciallastweekwiththetablingoftwopetitionsexpressingconcernabouthydraulicfrac-turinginthelegislaturewithbothcallingformorepublicsayonthecontroversialoilandgasdrillingprocess.AnonlinepetitionbyFrackingActionNorththatcalledforguaranteedenvi-ronmentalassessmentsforallfuturefrackingprojectswassignedby790peopleinatleast24communitiesoverthelastmonthwhileasecondpetitiontabledlastweekshowedaround120residentsoftheSahtucom-munitiesaskingforaregionalvoteonwhetherornotfrack-ingshouldbeallowedintheCentralMackenzie.BothweretabledinthehouselastWednesdaybyWeledehMLABobBrom-leyandSahtuMLANormanYakeleya.Bromleysaidthepeti-tionsshowwithoutadoubtthatpeopleintheNWTareconcernedaboutfrackingandwantapublichearingprocessforfutureapplica-tionsunliketheterritoryssoleexploratoryfrackingprojectwhichadvancedtothepermittingphasewithoutanenvironmentalassessment.ThedecisiontoallowfrackingintheNWTwithoutanenvironmentalassessmenthascreatedtensionintheSahtuandacrosstheNorth-westTerritorieshesaid.UndertheMackenzieVal-leyResourceManagementActeveryagencyofthisgovernmenthadtheauthor-itytoreferfrackingapplica-tionsforenvironmentalas-sessmentyetfrackinghasalreadybegunintheSahtuwithoutanenvironmentalassessment.HesaidrecentincidentsattheConocoPhillipsfrackingsiteincludingwastewatertruckrolloversfreshwatercontainmentpondleaksandworkerinjuriesareredagsthatthelandwaterandpeo-plearebeingexposedtorisksofseriousdamage.Peopleareconcernedandtheyhaveeveryrighttobe.Manypeoplearetalkingaboutamoratoriumonfrack-ingbutataveryminimumweneedtodoenvironmentalassessmentsontheseprojectstorespondtopeoplescon-cernshesaid.YakeleyaaskedPremierBobMcLeodwhatthetip-pingpointisforoutsidein-uenceonwhatgoesonintheSahtutakingintoconsider-ationtheareasnishedlandclaimandestablishedlocalorganizationswithauthori-tiestomanagelanduseintheregion.Thepremierrespondedthattheintergovernmentalcoun-cilsetupwithAboriginalgovernmentsthroughthede-volutionagreementwillallowthoseissuestobeaddressed.Ithinkthatwewillcon-tinuetoworkwiththeSahtuleadershiptotrytoworkwithwhatthepeopleintheregionwanttoseehappen.IthinkthatsthewaywewillapproachandthatsthewaythelandclaimshavebeennegotiatedandsettledonaregionalbasisMcLeodsaid.LoisLittleco-chairoftheCouncilofCanadiansandamemberofFrackingActionNorthsaidshewasgladtoseethepetitionshinealightonbestpracticesforco-op-erativedecisionmakingonfrackingintheterritory.Atthemomenttheen-vironmentalassessmentprocessisthebesttoolwehaveformakingsurethattheimpactsoffrackingareknownmanagedandmiti-gatedandiftheycantbetheprojectshouldntbeap-provedshesaid.Sofromthatperspectiveweareverygratiedtoseetheoverwhelmingresponsetothee-petitioncallingfortheGNWTtocallforanEAoffuturefrackingprojectapplications.Idontrecallanye-petitionreceivingthislevelofsupportfromsuchadiverseandterritory-widepopulation.Thisisapower-fulmessagetotheGNWT.Theyneedtoheedit.FrackingpetitionstabledinlegislaturePoliticsEnergyStudentsfollowcariboutracksonDrumLakeinthesearchforcaribouscatovertheweekend.StudentJohnTobacandinstructorGenevieveCotcollectcaribouscatsamplesonDrumLake.LawrenceJacksonCharlesOudziJohnTobacNatandaOudziinstructorsAdamBatheandGeneviveCotDanielMasuzumiandLouiseYukongetreadytoheadouttoTetsehxeDrumLakeforenvironmentalmonitoringtraining.