Members Present:

Guests:

Regrets:

Secretariat:

The chair welcomed everyone including guest members from the Yukon Chamber of Commerce and the Yukon Conservation Society. It is hoped that for the Council's next meeting at the end of May, that members from both organizations will be officially appointed. The second Council of Yukon First Nations seat is also outstanding.

Linda Casson moved and Ralph Nordling seconded the motion to approve the agenda as presented with one noted change: the Moose Harvest Management presentation is deferred to the May 31/June 1 meeting. The motion carried.

Malcolm Taggart moved and Ralph Nordling seconded the motion to approve the March 8-9, 2002 minutes as distributed. The motion carried. The chair reviewed the letter to the Department of Environment requesting data for the Yukon Conservation Strategy. The Council approved the chair to sign.

Gary McRobb, the Energy, Mines and Resources critic for the Official Opposition responded to the April 19-20 YCEE agenda with a request to attend this meeting. The Council agreed to invite Mr. McRobb to provide the Council with a presentation at 3:15-4:00 on April 19.

Malcolm Taggart distributed a draft request for proposal for a contract to provide research on a royalty fund for the Yukon. The Council decided to defer the project until the Council obtains further information from the Government of Yukon.

ACTION: Secretariat and Chair will draft a letter to the Premier as Minister of Finance to request information on the Permanent Fund mentioned by her in the Legislature and in the media and to request a presentation to YCEE at their meeting on May 31/June 1. Specifically the Council would like to know the effects on transfer payments of royalty income. The letter will also state that YCEE is interested in providing advice to the Government of Yukon on the set up and use of a fund for royalties from non-renewable resources. Further the Council would like to suggest to the Premier that YCEE could be the vehicle for public discussion on the permanent fund.

The Council briefly reviewed the Accountability Plan of the Department of Energy, Mines & Resources. The Council will review this and the Accountability Plans from the departments of Environment and Business, Tourism & Culture in further detail at a future meeting.

The Council discussed the Yukon Economic Strategy, a sustainable development plan, forestry/minerals, Access Corridor Study, the MINE (Management, Information, Incentives, Infrastructure, Networking/Communications/ Education related to the Mining industry) Plan, public education, and the YCEE report on building sustainable communities with the Minister of Energy, Mines & Resources. Minister Kent provided copies of the MINE Plan to Council members for their information. He also suggested that a review and comment on the Government of Yukon Accountability Plans by YCEE would be welcome. The Minister indicated that he had not yet had the opportunity to review the "Focus on the Future" document and endeavored to do so.

The chair provided Mr. McRobb with an overview of initiatives currently being addressed by the Council. Mr. McRobb indicated that he feels that YCEE has been underutilized recently and that the council could function as a tool for comprehensive approach to public opinion. Other issues he suggested the Council could deal with include: Kyoto Protocol/Climate Change, Yukon Protected Areas Strategy (YPAS), land use planning, aquaculture, state of fisheries (salmon), governance relationship between YTG/YDC/YEC, oil and gas land leases, pipeline, implementation of energy plan promoting alternative energy, forestry, placer mining, Marine Liability Act (effect on tourism industry) and P3 model (public/private partnerships). Mr. McRobb offered his availability on budget consultations.

Leonard Debastien from Inuvik provided the council with his experiences during the boom and bust times in Inuvik and on related changes resulting from the implementation of various land claims in the region. Themes of the discussion include: royalties; establishing local partnerships in Inuvik (local supplier content), employee training and the importance of trying to train locals for management positions and the difficulties associated with this; use of elders' councils. He also ventured his thoughts that First Nations support oil and gas development but are not too interested in mining because of the visible environmental impacts.

Roger Alfred added that the Selkirk First Nation has embarked on a traditional law project. As well Joanne McDonald of the Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) added that from a Yukon First Nation perspective agreements to hire First Nations people are important as well as education and communications and role models for young people. CYFN has guidelines for the use of Traditional Knowledge.

The Council reviewed the YCEE-sponsored project entitled "Focus on the Future - Building Sustainable Communities. The Council highlighted certain themes from the document that they would like to point out to the Government of Yukon.

They include:

1. The need for education and training funding.
2. Impediments/barriers to development e.g. regulations.
3. Need to keep the air, land and water clean.

The Council is interested in a follow-up to the case studies contained in the Focus on the Future document with the view to finding out the successes and failures of those businesses. The Council is interested in the Government of Yukon's response to this.

The chair had asked each member to check with their constituencies for issues/concerns that could be brought to YCEE.

Yukon Federation of Labour: None to bring up at YCEE.

Yukon Chamber of Mines: YPAS and DAP are Yukon Chamber of Mines(YCM) concerns but they each have separate processes. A possible issue for YCEE to consider is the Access Corridor Study. This should be completed prior to protected areas being established. Another issue that the YCM is working on is the permitting system.

Yukon Chamber of Commerce: Will provide for next meeting.

Ralph Nordling (member at large): In the Dawson City area, concerns are the Yukon Placer Authorization review, and funding for arts, the building of the Dawson City recreation center.

Yukon Status of Women Council: Would like YCEE to look at gender impact analysis within economic development.

Association of Yukon Communities: Is focussing on infrastructure development, climate change, the shredding of tires and water systems.

Yukon Conservation Society: Will provide for next meeting. Also focussing on Yukon Placer Authorization review, YPAS, oil/gas, forestry, climate change - all issues tied between the economy and environment.

The Council reviewed refined the draft workplan.

It was noted that the Council will need to review the 2002 comprehensive State of the Environment report most likely during their 2003/04 working year.

Council noted that public education is part of YCEE's mandate and would need to consider items in the workplan that fulfill this mandate.

The next 2 YCEE meetings will be:

• May 31/June 1 in Whitehorse
• August 23/24 in Whitehorse

The Council would like organizations to send alternates to YCEE meetings if members are unavailable.

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James Grattan, Chair