Fort Liard (July 19/04) - Oil and gas exploration could resume as early as January near Fort Liard.

Seventy-one per cent of Acho Dene Koe First Nation members surveyed are in favour of opening more parcels of Fort Liard land for exploration, said Chief Floyd Bertrand.

The Acho Dene Koe had been waiting to see if the Dehcho First Nations could arrive at terms for a regional oil and gas issuance cycle with the federal government before opening the parcels.

All the existing oil and gas exploration licences have expired.

Members of the band have been asking when another oil and gas rights sale can be held, said Bertrand.

The Acho Dene Koe is trying to reap more benefits from industry.

A six-month extension on Deh Cho resource development talks centering around the Interim Resource Development Agreement (IRDA) has been granted by Andy Mitchell, minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

The original deadline for negotiations was April 17.

The IRDA is a "dead document," said Bertrand.

Fort Liard is close to reaching a boundary agreement with Trout Lake and Nahanni Butte, said Bertrand.

Trout Lake Chief Dennis Deneron disagrees, saying much remains to be resolved. "We haven't really met."

Conflict arose 10 years ago when oil and gas development began near Fort Liard.

Carving up the map is a sensitive but necessary issue, said Bertrand.