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TuesdaySeptember220143ENVIRONMENTFORESTSLouiseFraserSandyPoitrasTonyHeronMavisNicholsonGeraldPoitrasEileenTourangeauMelissaFraserSarahAnnPetersonDeniseYuhasFatherPaulPayyapillyGailSchwartzenburgerCaroleAugereauShannonColemanAnnaKikoakLenaPaulLouisMercrediKennyMercrediDonMathewJr.WallySchumanSamSandersonandBrendaStokesMathewFraserKiannaMcDonaldSamanthaSinclairSylviaandRandyCardinalAlexDesrochesMitchellNicholsonKevinandShawnaYoungFatherBernieBlackHomeCareLindaMasonSueFryerHospitalNursesandStaffVolunteerAmbulancePersonnelWescleanNorthernSalesWomensCorrectionsKaesersStoreSaltRiverFirstNationFortSmithMtisAssociationPWSStaffTownofFortSmithPallbearersLouiseFraserToniHeronSandyPoitrasDeniseYuhasIreneEdkinsConnieBelangerKirkSchaeferLeviSchaeferGaryNicholsonHenryHeronKevinYoungBarryNicholsonMedicalDaycareUnitinYellowknifeAlltheothermedicalstaffinYellowknifeandEdmontonthatassistedThepeopleofFortMcPhersonwhogenerouslydonatedtosendSuetobewithusAllthepeoplethatcamefromoutoftownandthosethattraveledwithandorganizedtheHandybusfromFortResolutionThemanypeoplewhobroughtfoodAllthegesturesthatweredoneanonymouslybutwereappreciatedbythefamilyJimSchaeferandfamilywouldliketothankWeapologizeforanyonewehavemissed.Therehasbeensuchanoutpouringofkindnessthatwehavebeenoverwhelmedbytryingtorememberthemall.InLovingMemoryofEdnaSchaeferPinebeetlesshowingcoldresistanceresearchersTeamofscientistshuntingforsolutionstoslowhyper-epidemicoutbreakByMEAGANWOHLBERGWildremayhavedestroyedthehomesoftheterritorysonlydocumentedpinebeetlesthissummerbutthatdoesntmeantheNWTisoutofharmswaywhenitcomestothedev-astatingspreadofoneofthecountrysmostdestructivespeciesasitblazesthroughmil-lionsofhectaresofnewterrain.NewresearchbeingdonebyahandfulofscientistswiththeUniversityofAlbertaisrevealingstartlinginformationaboutthemountainpinebeetlethatshowsthetinyrice-sizedbugsaremuchstrongerthanpre-viouslythoughtandcouldbebecomingmoreresistanttocoldtemperatures.WhathadbeenpostulatedwastheclimaticsuitabilityofthoseNorthernregionswouldbeuntenableforbeetlesbutthebeetlesdidntreadthatreport.ItturnsoutthattheyremoreresilientthanwethoughtsaidJaniceCookearesearcherinthedepartmentofBiologicalSciencesanddirectorofthenetworkchargedwithstoppingthespreadofthebeetle.WhilethebitingcoldofNorthernwintershasbeensuccessfulinkillingoff90-99percentofthebeetlepopulationssomepersist.TheexpressionthatgetsuseddownhereisLotsminuslotsisstilllotssoifyouhaveabazillionbeetlesandtakeoutabillionbeetlesyoustillhaveamillionleftCookesaid.SowearegettingsubstantialwintermortalityintheseNorthernareasbutitsnotsufcienttoextinguishthepopulationsotheyvebeenabletocreepmorenortherly.WhilestillspeculationCookesaidscientistsarestartingtowonderwhetherthenorthernmostbugsarenowevolvingintoasupercold-resistantvarietyofpinebeetlethatwillbecapableoflivinginplacesliketheNWT.ResearchershavealreadyfoundthatbeetlesintheNortharegeneticallydifferentfromthoseinthesouth.Coldiskillingalltheguysthatwerentcoldtolerantbuttheonesthatremainarecoldtolerant.ThosearetheonesthatarebreedingCookesaid.OneofthethingswereaddressinginourresearchisareweinfactseeingevolutioninactionAreweseeingselectionforthebeetlesthatarethemostcoldtolerantandinfactseeinganadaptationtothisnewenvironmentthattheyveinvadedThoughthemountainpinebeetleishistori-callyfoundinsouth-centralB.C.andthewest-ernU.S.aperfectstormofenvironmentalfac-torsandforestrymanagementpracticesfueledbeetlegrowthanddevelopmentwhilesimultane-ouslywearingdownthetreesnaturaldefences.Whatoccurredwasrstajumpfromrela-tivelysmallpopulationstoepidemiclevelsoverthelast15yearstowhatisnowbeingconsideredhyper-epidemicpopulationsofbeetlesmakingtheirwaypasttheRockiesandintonorthernAl-bertastartingnearGrandePrairieandmovingtheirwaynorthwardtoZamaCityandacrosstheborderintotheNWTforthersttimein2013.ThenumberswerejustsosolargeandwiththeforeststructurebeingsuchthatitsupportedthesemassivenumbersofbeetlestheoutbreakjustwaslikeatrainoutofcontrolCookesaid.Beetlesmovedeastandnorthinsearchoffood-lodgepoleandjackpines-afterdecimatingforestsincentralB.C.Previousforestmanage-mentpracticeswhichincludedresuppressionmeantthebeetleswereprovidedalargesupplyofmaturehomogenouspinethatallowedthemtogrowtheirpopulationsexponentially.Becauseoftheoutbreakscientistsnowknowthebeetlescannotonlyymuchfurtherthanpreviouslythoughtbutarealsocarriedlongdis-tancesbyaircurrents.Additionallytheyhaveabetterunderstandingofthefunguscarriedbythebeetlesthatalsocolonizespinepopulations.Thatsaidknowledgegapsstillexist.Theteamofscientistsisnowworkingwithgovernmentindustrynon-protsandotheruniversitiesaspartofadecisionsupportsystemtocompilewhattheyknowonspread-controlandaddressmissinginformationlikewhichbeetles-maleorfemalelargeorsmall-yfurtherwhattreesposethehighestrisktomorespreadandwhatchemi-calsorpheromonesattractorrepelthebeetle.Thoughtheresearchisslatedtoendin2018Cookeexpectsaone-yearextension.Whetherthatwillberequireddependsonhowmuchcon-troltheycangainoverthespreadofthebugs.Withanylucktheoutbreakwillbeoverandwecandoaretrospectiveonhowtoprepareforthenextoutbreakshesaidbutallbetsareoff.PhotoNaturalResourcesCanadaPhotocourtesyofMikeGravelApinebeetleisdiscoveredintheNWTin2013.Rice-sizedpinebeetleshavedecimated19millionhectaresofforestinB.C.andAlberta.ListofcandidatesstillunavailableContinuedfrompage1.TheletterfromFriedaissayingtherewasnofraudoranythingBenwellsaid.TheRCMPdontevenknowwhattodowithit.Idontevenknowwhytheyrepulledinonthis.InanattempttorunintheelectionMarie-Jewellinquiredwithchiefelec-toralofficerLyndaMartinonthelegali-tiesofblockingcandidateswithdisputeddebts.MartinsindependentlegalcounseladvisedthatSRFNselectioncodestandsregardlessofwhetherornotthedebtsarecontested.IfIhavealettersayingthattheyrein-debtedthenIhavetodealwiththat...ItsSaltRiverselectioncodeandImjustad-ministeringitMartinsaidrefusingtocommentfurther.Benwellsaidsheplanstocontestthein-voicethroughanupcomingmembershipmeetingandisrefusingtopaytheinvoicewhileMarie-Jewellsaidsheisstilldeliber-atingnextstepsbutpredictsinterestingdevelopmentswillcomeintoplayduringtheelection.EvictionfrombandhouseTheinvoicesarejustpartofthedramaun-foldingatSRFNasitpreparesforitselection.LastweekRCMPforciblyremovedAnthonyJohnMcKayandhisfamilyfromoneofthebandshousesinFortSmith.BenwellattestedtothefactthatthehousewasgiventotheMcKaysbySRFNafterMartseloswaselectedinApril2013andchosetodoawaywiththepreviouschiefandcouncilshousingpolicywhichusedarentalscenario.Theleaseagree-mentwastossedandthehousesgiventotheiroccupants.WhenFriedacameonboardshewipedthatoutandsaidthosehousesaretheirstheyshouldbegiventothemBenwellsaid.LastmonththeMcKaysweregivena30-daynoticetovacatethepropertycitingvio-lationsoftheformerleaseagreement.ListofcandidatesstillunavailableDespitenominationsclosinglastWednes-dayat500p.m.anofciallistofcandidatesforchiefandcouncilwasstillunavailableasofpresstimeMonday.MyhandsaretiedsaidMartinwhosaidshewasstillnotabsolutelycertainallwhoenteredtheirnameswouldbeguaranteedaspotontheballot.POLITICSFIRSTNATIONSIfIhavealettersayingthattheyreindebtedthenIhavetodealwiththat...ItsSaltRiverselectioncodeandImjustadministeringit.LyndaMartinChiefElectoralOfficer