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ThreeinrunningforSaltRiverchiefafterdisqualicationsOnlythreecandidatesremainintheraceforchiefoftheSaltRiverFirstNationaftersev-eralnominationsweretossedoutasineligible.Seepage2.FromlakesandlodgestothelightsofLasVegasBushpilotDanWettlauferlivesitupasaoatplanepilotintheNWTandaboxerontheLasVegasstrip.Seepage20.ZOETROPESPINSINTOSPOTLIGHTYellowknifersplaywithnewpublicart.Seepage18.HayRiverhealthcentreonbudgetaheadofscheduleConstructiononHayRiversnewhealthcentreisrightontargetaccordingtoCEOAlWoodswhoexpectsanearlieropeningdateofnextsummer.Seepage10.LowwaterlevelscouldseehugepowerbillincreaseRecord-lowlevelsontheSnarehydrosystemwillseemorerelianceondieselthiswinterandaresulting13percentin-creaseforratepayers.Seepage3.VISITWWW.NORJ.CAAnationalawardwinningindependentnewspaperservingnorthernAlbertaandtheNorthwestTerritoriessince1977FirstNationsfacetoughchoiceascaribounumberscontinuetodeclineByMEAGANWOHLBERGMembersoftheYellowknivesDeneandTlichoFirstNationshaveaharddecisiontomakewhenitcomestothisyearscaribouharvestfollowingdisappointingsurveyresultsthatshowbarren-groundherdscontinuetodeclineatanalarmingrate.Ofcialswiththeterritorialgov-ernmentannouncedtheresultsoftheirlatestreconnaissancesurveyslatelastmonthwhichindicatethatpopulationnumberscontinuetodropforboththeBluenose-EastandBathurstcaribouherds.WeshouldallbealarmedEn-vironmentandNaturalResourcesENRMinisterMichaelMilten-bergertoldTheJournal.Reconnaissancesurveysareun-dertakenannuallytodeterminetrendsinherdsize.JunessurveyoftheBluenose-Eastcalvinggroundssuggeststheherdhasdeclinedby30percentfrommorethan100000animalsestimatedduringthe2010surveytoabout68000andnowtoperhapsbelow30000.WhiletheBathurstherdnumberedabout470000in1986itdeclinedtoaround32000in2009.Thoughconsideredstablebetween2009and2012at35000animalsJunessurveysuggestsitcontinuestodeclineandnumberscouldbeaslowas15000.ThatisadramaticdropMilten-bergersaid.Thebiologistshavein-dicatedthatsomeofthesebigherdsoverthelongcyclethatwereawareofhavetrendeddownaslowas5000andmanagedtorecoverbutthatsbeendecadesinthemakingandatadifferenttimeandplacewheretheydidnthavetheotherpressures.Miltenbergersaidthedeclineisacomplexproblemwithoutoneclearcause.ModernpressuresoncaribouincluderapidindustrialdevelopmentintheNorthandtheimpactsofcli-matechangealongwiththeeasyac-cessibilityofthetwoherdsbyroad-arelativelyrecentdevelopmentspunofffromtheconstructionofmines.ENRofcialsrecentlymetwiththeYellowknivesDeneandTlichoGovern-menttobreakthebadnewsandassesshowtheFirstNationswanttomoveforwardwiththisyearsharvest.ThegroupsplantomeetagaininOctobertocomeupwithaplanthatworksforeveryoneincludingthecaribou.Thoughthedepartmentintendstolookmorecloselyatissuesofpre-dationbywolvesandtheimpactsofindustryandchangingweatherontheherdsintheinterimMilt-enbergersaidmodifyingthissea-sonsharvestisnumberone.Thesinglebiggestthingweaf-fectisthehuntinghesaidandwehavethisfondnessunfortunatelyforhuntingcowsandnotprotectingthebreedingstockprobablyasmuchasitneedsprotecting.ToughtalksaheadYellowknivesChiefEdwardSan-grisofDettahsaidhehasyettoholdaconsultationwithhismembersandtheTlichoaboutnextstepsbutsaidtheconversationislikelygoingtobeatoughone.Wearethemostaffectedcom-munitySangrissaid.WehavetodecidewhetherweasYellowknivesDenesaynohuntingfortwoyearsorxnumberofyearsandthenwegofromthere.Wehaveachoicebetweenlimitedhuntingandnohuntinghecontin-ued.Thatssomethingthatstillneedstobediscussedwithourmembers.Likeinsteadoftaking300letstake150andgowiththat.ThatsanotheroptiontheFirstNationshave.SeeVoluntaryonpage2.PhotoBillBradenTaneishaFrankiandNahzeBlondinwithBeshaBlondinlookingonshowoffcrunchycarrotsgrownthisyearatNdiloscommunitygardenplot.ThecommunitywhichhasbecomearecenthubforgreenthumbstooktheleadonhostingYellowknifesannualfallharvestfairthisyear.Seepage9.1.00September92014Vol.38No.19