Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Aug 31/01) - Several people have spent the summer collecting samples and other such tasks as part of a program offered by the First Nations Forestry Program.

Howard Townsend, lands manager with the Gwich'in Tribal Council, explained the Gwich'in have participated in the program before, but not in the environmental monitoring segment.

He said that people are being trained to do environmental monitoring, as well as install permanent sample plots that are to be put in place throughout the Gwich'in Settlement Region.

"We're hoping to train some up to be available to work as environmental monitors when industry picks up in the fall," Townsend said.

The program will wrap up shortly. Four trainees and a monitor started with the program in June, but since then some have left and others have joined, so that eight or nine trainees are now taking part.

During the program many subjects have been covered, including bear awareness, helicopter safety, first aid, CPR, H2S alive, WHMIS, compassing and mapping, as well as an oil spill and containment recovery exercise. Trainees have also done on the job activities for various groups.

"It's been quite the outing for some of them," Townsend said.

"They've done bug collecting and water sampling, soil sampling, vegetation assessment, all kinds of stuff."