Mr. Chair, the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act included in the Northwest Territories Devolution Act implements obligations under land claim agreements between Canada and the Gwich'in, the Sahtu Dene and Métis, and the Tlicho respectively. It creates a single co-manage regime for land and waters in the Mackenzie Valley.
The existing land claim agreements allow for a single land and water board to be established in the Mackenzie Valley. The new approach would lead to a consolidated regulatory regime that would help streamline the system and reduce administrative and process inefficiencies.
Reducing the number of boards from four to one would ensure consistent application of the regulatory framework in the Mackenzie Valley while ensuring that the government maintained appropriate aboriginal representation and respected its land claims obligations. This would increase investor confidence in resource development in the Mackenzie Valley while respecting the government's obligations listed in the land claims agreements.