Community considers future development
Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services
Fort Liard (Apr 16/01) - Residents of Fort Liard are deciding what to do with their land when it comes to resource development.
The community, which has benefited significantly from natural gas development, launched a review to determine how development will affect Acho Dene Koe band members and traditional lands.
"We believe the results of this assessment study will provide band members with all the information required to make a decision about opening more lands," said Acho Dene Koe Chief Judy Kotchea in a statement.
"In the next round of this type of gas and oil development, we need to take on the challenges, accept them and determine how our people will best participate and benefit."
Chevron's K-29 gas well, one of several producing natural gas near Fort Liard, is among the Canada's most productive wells ever.
Harry Deneron, chief when the first six parcels of land went out for bid in 1993 and 1994, said: "We cannot continue to live by the government rule and live off of handouts. Our land is very rich in non-renewable resources."
Deneron added said if land is to be sacrificed to development it must be done "right." "Our kids who stay in school, finish Grade 12, go on to college and to university need to have jobs to come back to."
NWT Community Mobilization Partnership is co-ordinating the study.
ADK, the holding company for band-owned companies, recently reported wages paid out in year 2000 totalled $9.6 million, up from $7.6 million in 1999. Last year, band members received $2.7 million of the total compared to $2.4 million in 1999. But numbers so far this year are down. By mid-February, Beaver Enterprises had 190 employees with a payroll of $1.2 million, down from 234 staff and payroll of $1.5 million.
"The reason for the sharp decline was the loss of work resulting from decisions made by the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board against Paramount Resources' proposed winter drilling program." ADK said in its review
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