Funding for the Interim Resource Management Assistance (IRMA) Program is being boosted by the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT). The is an effort to strengthen Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations’ capacity to participate meaningfully in land and resource management processes.

The IRMA Program supports Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations without settled land and resource agreements to engage in a broad range of activities, including engagement and consultation, and capacity development.

The program receives, on average, 1-2 million dollars in requests above the approved budget annually. The GNWT contributes 25% to funding and is now doubling its contribution to help meet this request, bringing its total annual budget to just over $2 million. Additionally, the GNWT continues to discuss opportunities for complementary funding from the Federal Government to further increase the capacity for Indigenous Governments and Indigenous Organizations to participate in environmental assessment and regulatory processes. 

Enhanced funding will help support IRMA's existing core components:

• Base Funding: allocated annually based on population to support ongoing participation and capacity, with a multi-year option available to reduce administrative burden.
• Resource Pressures Funding: additional support for specific major project developments where base funding is shown to be insufficient.
• Capacity Building Workshops: opportunities for recipients to enhance skills and knowledge relevant to land and resource management.

This renewed investment responds to strong demand for IRMA funding, which routinely reaches full allocation due to the program's role in enabling northern Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations, in unsettled regions, to engage effectively in key processes related to land use, environmental protection, and resource development.

Quote

“Increasing funding for the IRMA program is an important step toward ensuring Indigenous governments and organizations have the tools they need to participate meaningfully in land and resource decisions. This investment helps build capacity for environmental assessments, regulatory processes, and community engagement. This increase demonstrates our commitment to supporting our Indigenous partners in shaping the future of their traditional territories.

- Jay Macdonald, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Quick facts

• The IRMA Program supports Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations without settled land and resource agreements to engage in a broad range of activities, including environmental assessments, regulatory processes and permit reviews, and support capacity development.
• Currently, the fund distributes $1,655,000 annually. The GNWT contributes 25% of that total. The GNWT has doubled that figure to $827,500.

Related links

• Apply for Interim Resource Management Assistance
• Interim Resource Management Assistance Program Guidelines

For media requests, please contact:

ECC_Communications@gov.nt.ca
Environment and Climate Change
Government of the Northwest Territories