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TuesdayNovember420147CaribouboardsmonitorsocialmediaimpactonherdsENVIRONMENTWILDLIFEByMEAGANWOHLBERGThecommunityofFortProvidencebecamethesecondtosignontoaforestmanage-mentagreementFMAwiththeterritorialgovernmentlastmonthjoiningFortResolu-tioninhelpingtojumpstarttheNWTsbio-massindustry.DigaaEnterprisesLtd.ajointventurebe-tweentheDehGahGotieFirstNationandFortProvidenceMtisCouncilwillnowhavenon-exclusiveaccessrightstoharvesttim-berfromCrownlandsinasetareainordertosupplywoodtoavarietyofcustomersin-cludingthepelletmillplannedfortheHayRiverarea.ThetermoftheFMAis25years.ThisagreementisauniqueopportunityforthepeopleofFortProvidencetogetinonthegroundoorintheongoingdevel-opmentofagrowingnorthernbiomassin-dustrysaidEnvironmentandNaturalRe-sourcesMinisterMichaelMiltenberger.ItprovidesDigaaEnterpriseswithtenureforenoughtimbervolumeandaccesstocreateaviableforestindustryforthecommunityofFortProvidence.AsFMAholderDigaawillberesponsibleforcomingupwiththeharvestingplansthataddresstheneedsofmultiplestakeholdersincludingtraditionalland-userswiththeguidanceofENR.A25-yearharvestingplanisscheduledtobecompletedthisyear.AsimilarFMAwassignedinFortReso-lutionlastwinterwithTimberworksajointventurebetweentheFortResolutionMtisandDeninuKueFirstNation.AccordingtoMiltenbergerthesetwoaretherstofmanyagreementsthegovernmentwantstosignwithAboriginalcorporationsincommunitieswhereasustainablesupplyoftimberandaviablecommercialuseforthewoodexist.Forestmanagementagreementsbenetcommunitiesbysupportingthedevelopmentofprotablelocallymanagedbusinessesandincreasingtrainingandjobopportuni-tiesforlocalpeoplehesaid.Communi-tieswillbeabletodeterminethegrowthoftheirbusinessbasedonmarketsandtheircapabilities.ApartfromtheireconomicbenethesaidtheyalsosupplywoodfortheincreaseduseofbiomassenergysystemsintheNWTmostnotablyfortheproposedAuroraWoodPel-letsmillwhichisexpectedtocreateanan-nualdemandfor125000cubicmetresofwoodand40jobs.ThisNorthernownedandoperatedbusinesswillpurchasesustainablyhar-vestedtimberfromTimberworksandDigaaEnterprisesandcontributetowardsasustainableNortherneconomyMilten-bergersaid.FortProvidencesignsforestmanagementagreementENVIRONMENTFORESTRYByMEAGANWOHLBERGWithreportscomingfromNunavutthatonlinesalesofcountryfoodshavedecimatedcaribouherdsonBafnIslandmanagementboardsareeyeingthepotentialimpactsofso-cialmediaonotherherdstothewest.TheNunavutWildlifeManagementBoardrecentlywarnedleadersinNunavutthatthepracticeofsellingwildmeatandshonlinerisksseriousdepletionofcertainwildlifepopulationsespeciallytheSouthamptonIs-landcaribouherdwhichhasdroppedfrom30000to5000inthelastfewyears.WhilesocialmediahasyettocatchonasamajortoolforthecountryfoodstradeintheNWTthatdoesntmeancaribouintheterritorymightnotbeaffectedaccordingtomonitorswhosaydwindlingBafnherdscouldseeincreasedpressureonothercaribou.OurconcernistheyregoingtoshifttheirharvestovertotheQamanirjuaqwhichisfairlyclosetothatareaandIthinkthatsafairlygeneralconcern-thereslownumbersofcariboualloverrightnowsaidEarlEvanschairoftheBeverly-QamanirjuaqCaribouManagementBoardBQCMB.QamanirjuaqherdsmigratebetweenNun-avutandtheNorthwestTerritoriesheadingasfarwestasFortSmithandevendippingdownintoManitobaandSaskatchewan.TheQamanirjuaqherdhasbeencomingfurtherandfurtherwestwithallthedevel-opmentinNunavutthelastthreefouryearsandthatsaherdthatcomestothewestofSmiththatsomeofthepeoplefromSmithaccessEvanssaid.HarvestinNunavutdoubledEvanssaidtheappearanceofsocialmediahasdoubledthesubsistenceharvestinNuna-vutinrecentyearsputtingwildlifeatriskofover-hunting.WiththeseinternetsalestheycanpostontheinternetIwantfourcaribouandthereshunterswhodonthavejobssothisissomeformofincomeforthemandtheygooutandtheylllltheorderEvansexplained.CompoundingtheproblemisthatNorthernairlinesFirstAirandCanadianNorthsubsi-dizeaatrateforshippingcountryfoodsasawaytoensureaccessibilityofmeatacrosstheterritoryandkeeptheirplanesfullEvanssaid.CaribouarenowbeingsoldonlineinNun-avutforanaverageof300-400apiecewithsomesellingashighas600foronecaribou-aheftyprot.NotaprobleminNWTyetWhiletheNunavutlandclaimallowsInuittherighttosellbarterorgiveawayinsideoroutsidetheNunavutsettlementareaanywildlifethathasbeenlegallyharvesteddifferentregulationsexistintheNWTthatcouldcurbasimilarpatternfromarisingthere.IntheNWTAboriginalhunters-thosewithaGeneralHuntingLicenceGHL-mayonlybuysellbarterorgiftcariboumeattootherGHLholders.Residentandnon-residenthuntersmaynotsellcariboumeatwithoutapermitorcommercialtag.IllegallysellingcariboumeatisalwaysaconcernandtherehavebeensomeinstanceswhereithascomeupbutitisnotsomethingthatoccursalotnotedEllaStinsonspokes-personforthedepartmentofEnvironmentandNaturalResources.EducationonethicsimportantboardRegulationsareonesideofitbuteducationonsustainablehuntingpracticesisalsojustasimportantsaidJoeTetlichiwhochairsthePorcupineCaribouManagementBoardintheYukonandNWT.IcanhonestlytellyouthatthissocialmediaissuehasneverbeenanissuewiththePorcupineCaribouManagementBoardandIthinkitreallyhastodowiththeharvestmanagementplanthatweveincorporatedhesharedwithTheJournal.Amanagementplanfortheonce-dwindlingherdwascreatedin2010followedbyanimple-mentationplanthatgiveseachinvolvedgov-ernmentorganizationresponsibilityforanum-berofissuesincludingharvestingpractices.TetlichicreditedtheeducationdoneinthePorcupinecariboucommunitieswhichincorpo-ratestraditionalvaluesintomanagementwithensuringpeoplehavearespectfortheherds.Alongtimeagoourpeoplereallyrespectedthecaribouandneveruseditformonetarygain-theysharedalothesaid.Ithinkitsgiventheresponsibilitiesbacktothevariousrenewableresourcecouncilshuntersandtrappersassociationswherewegooutandgeteducationinformationinregardstohealthyhuntingethics.Ithinkthatgoesalongway.ButEvanssaidtheissueinNunavutiscomplexsincehuntersoftenhavefamiliestosupportwithnootherincome.IfthenumberscouldsustainitIdontseeanythingwrongwithaguygoingoutandwork-inghard-itsnoteasyworkhesaid.Butatthesametimethenumbersaredwindlingandtheherdscantsustainthiskindofhunting.Thesubsistenceharvesthasdoubledsincethein-ternetsalesandthelowfreightratesstarted.TheBQCMBiscurrentlyawaitingresultsofthe2013surveytoassessherdstrengthandwilladdresstheissueofonlinesalesatitsNov.18-20meetinginWinnipeg.AKLAVIKBEHCHOKOCOLVILLELAKEDELINEEAGLEPLAINSYTEKATIDIAMONDMINESENTERPRISEFORTGOODHOPEFORTLIARDFORTMCPHERSONFORTPROVIDENCEPAULATUKSACHSHARBOURTROUTLAKETSIIGEHTCHICTUKTOYAKTUKTULITAULUKHAKTOKWEKWEETIWHATIWRIGLEYYELLOWKNIFEFORTRESOLUTIONFORTSIMPSONFORTSMITHGAMETIHAYRIVERINUVIKJEANMARIERIVERKAKISALUTSELKENAHANNIBUTTENORMANWELLSOLDCROWYTFindtheJournalinthesecommunitiesthroughouttheNWTFindtheJournalinthesecommunitiesthroughoutnorthernAlbertaANZACATIKAMEGBROWNVALECADOTTELAKECHARDCHATEHCOLDLAKECONKLINDRIFTPILEDUFFIELDEDMONTONENILDAENOCHFORTCHIPEWYANFORTMACKAYFORTMCMURRAYFORTVERMILIONFROGLAKEGLENEVISGOODFISHLAKEGRANDEPRAIRIEGROUARDHIGHLEVELHIGHPRAIRIEHYTHEJOHNDORPRAIRIEKEHEWINKINUSOLACLABICHEMANNINGMORINVILLEPEACERIVERRAINBOWLAKEREDEARTHCREEKSADDLELAKESLAVELAKEST.PAULVALLEYVIEWWABASCAYourSourceforNorthernNewsBytellingthestoriesofNorthernersweremakingourcommunitiesstronger2011NationalAwardWinner2011BestAll-RoundinCanada2012TopThreeOverallinCanada2013NationalAwardWinner2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDPhotocourtesyofBQCMB