Sahtu board explains why its members not in conflict over Bluenose East caribou plans

The board reviewing future harvesting plans for the declining Bluenose East caribou herd found "no evidence" of conflict of interest or bias of two board members and the board's chair who will help decide the future of the herd, according to the final report released this week.

The Sahtu Renewable Resource Board went ahead with the hearings on two caribou management plans by the community of Deline and the GNWT earlier this month after groups in Colville Lake urged the board to review the impartiality of the three members and call the hearings down if it was compromised.

Deline Chief Leonard Kenny, a board member, and Michael Neyelle, the board's chair, both worked on Deline's proposed caribou management plan extensively. Board member Jeff Walker oversees enforcement of N.W.T.'s wildlife laws as the regional superintendent for the Sahtu region for the N.W.T. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The Sahtu Renewable Resources Board's conflict of interest guidelines recognize that its board members are often employees or leaders in Sahtu or government organizations, and the Sahtu Dene and Métis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement states these members are not in a conflict of interest solely on that basis. 

In its review, the board found all three members addressed their overlapping roles months before the hearings began. Michael Neyelle stepped aside from his responsibilities as president of Deline's renewable resource council when the Bluenose East hearing were called in January and continues to do so until the board makes its final decision.

The board noted Deline Chief Leonard Kenny's "diligence in self-assessing whether a conflict of interest could arise in this hearing" and that "Leonard Kenny's perspective and experience as a leader of a Sahtú Dene community is highly valuable in the Board's understanding of issues and decision-making process."

In its letter of concern, groups in Colville Lake said they had "no confidence in the ability of Mr. Walker to decide fairly and impartially, given his expressly stated views on the need for a [total allowable harvest] or the enforcement of quota allocations in his role as regional manager in the government department that is putting forward proposals for a TAH and quota allocations in the ENR Caribou Plan."

In its review the board found Walker was speaking in the context of enforcing existing Bluenose West regulations "arising from Colville Lake's rejection of caribou tags in the BNW area." The emails show no "expressly stated views on the need for a TAH" for BNE, but do demonstrate Jeff Walker's opinion that, in light of the current regulations, compliance is necessary to the conservation efforts."

The groups in Colville Lake also alleged that Walker "acted, implemented, or supported positions in respect to the ENR caribou plan."

The board found Walker did not participate in finalizing or approving ENR's plan.