High winds and extreme weather conditions on Friday, July 04 pushed a fire near Consolation Lake toward Reid Lake. This fire is currently 11 kilometres east of the Ingraham Trail.

Environment and Natural Resources have brought in additional resources, including an Incident Management Team, to support operations. Today personnel will continue to assess the situation and plan operations to begin securing the southern flank of the fire tomorrow.

Extremely dry conditions across the Northwest Territories have led to high to extreme wildfire danger in most forested areas of the territory. Various government departments are working to coordinate resources and response to these wildfires. These departments and their responsibilities include:

Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA)

YELLOWKNIFE (June 25, 2014) – Beginning today, residents and visitors to the Northwest Territories will be able to purchase sport fishing licences online through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) website.

YELLOWKNIFE (June 10, 2014) – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is advising people to take care when using fire in forested areas of the Northwest Territories.

Nine of the 11 wildfires reported this season are suspected person-caused fires and investigations into the cause are underway in all cases.

Current wildfire danger is high to extreme in the South Slave, North Slave, Sahtu and some parts of the Dehcho.

Yellowknife (June 6, 2014) – Results of the 2012 Canadian Nature Survey were released today by Canada’s Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments. It is the first national survey of its kind in Canada in more than 15 years.

YELLOWKNIFE (June 4, 2014) – Minister of Environment and Natural Resources J. Michael Miltenberger signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Forest Industry Development on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) with Deh Gah Gotie First Nation Chief Joachim Bonnetrouge and Fort Providence Métis President Clifford McLeod today.

Mr. Speaker, making sure our children inherit a healthy environment that supports traditional lifestyles in a modern economy through the wise use and protection of our natural resources is one of the main goals of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

As you are aware, as of April 1, 2014, ENR took over responsibility for managing water resources in the Mackenzie Valley and inland waters in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region through the administration of the Waters Act and regulations.

YELLOWKNIFE (April 24, 2014) – Minister of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) J. Michael Miltenberger approved two Amended Type "A" water licences today, as required under the Mackenzie Valley Resources Management Act.

These are the first water licences to be approved since devolution came into effect on April 1, 2014. The amended licences were forwarded for Ministerial review and approval by the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Boardearlier this month.

YELLOWKNIFE (March 19, 2014) – Canada Water Week is a week-long celebration of water from coast-to-coast-to-coast, held annually in the third week of March to coincide with World Water Day on March 22.

YELLOWNIFE (March 4, 2014) – Environment and Natural Resources Minister J. Michael Miltenberger has listed the polar bear as a species of special concern and the boreal caribou, Peary caribou and the hairy braya as threatened species in the Northwest Territories (NWT).

The four are the first species to be placed on the NWT List of Species at Risk, established under the Species at Risk (NWT) Act.