It is important that the information collected through CIMP is

relevant to Northerners, therefore the program is largely guided by

Cumulative Impact
the expertise and efforts of northern residents. Monitoring
Who participates in the Cumulative Impact Program
Monitoring Program?
A CIMP Working Group with representatives from Aboriginal, How is the information collected used? How do we make sure the
territorial and federal governments, along with observers from
CIMP promotes the use of data collection and reporting monitoring program is effective?
other organizations, is guiding the design and implementation
of the program. protocols to ensure environmental information can, Every five years the NWT Environmental Audit is
as much as possible, be included in existing databases. conducted by an independent auditor to check
Where appropriate, the program will encourage on the health of the environment, the efficiency of
Working Group Members: regulators to implement CIMP-endorsed protocols environmental management processes, the status
Environment and Natural Resources, GNWT for data collection and reporting. of the implementation of recommendations from
Gwich’in Tribal Council previous audits and the effectiveness of CIMP. The
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the audit helps ensure that monitoring activities gather
Inuvialuit Game Council Government of the Northwest Territories are developing the information necessary for decision-makers to
North Slave Metis Alliance an NWT Monitoring Portal. When fully implemented, this better understand the environment. Long-term
Northwest Territory Metis Nation web-based information management portal will support monitoring and regular audits are good environmental
Government CIMP by making environmental data from varied sources management practices that help protect the
– including program funded projects - available to environment. The first audit was conducted in 2005.
Observer Organizations: the public.

Akaitcho Territory Government
Dehcho First Nations
How does the Cumulative Impact
Environment Canada Monitoring Program select projects
Fisheries and Oceans Canada to support?
Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board CIMP projects are selected annually by the CIMP
Parks Canada Working Group based on a ‘request for proposal’
Sahtu Secretariat Inc. process. Activities should promote community
capacity building, environmental monitoring,
Alternates: scientific research and/or traditional knowledge
Inuvialuit Joint Secretariat studies. Recipients of program funding can include
Aboriginal organizations, communities, government
CIMP produces a State of Knowledge Report intended departments, non-government organizations and
to document baseline data and identify significant academics.
information gaps. The first report was released in
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada provides secretariat support, 2002 and was updated in 2005, 2007 and 2009. The
technical expertise and scientific guidance to the NWT CIMP Working Projects may also be determined based on
VC Advisory Teams are responsible for updating the identified or known gaps in environmental monitoring
Group and NWT CIMP projects. To contact the CIMP Coordinator, reference list related to each VC annually. The report and research in the NWT. These types of initiatives
please email cimp@inac.gc.ca or phone 867-669-2597. provides a starting place for environmental auditors to are included as operational components of program
assess changes in environmental conditions as they planning.
may relate to each VC. The summary and full reports
QS-Y340-000-EE-A1
are available on the CIMP website at www.nwtcimp.ca.

www.nwtcimp.ca
What are cumulative impacts?
Cumulative impacts are changes to the biophysical, CIMP aims to achieve excellence in environmental management and stewardship through effective
social, economic, and cultural environments caused
by the combination of past, present and “reasonably monitoring and assessment of cumulative impacts in the NWT.
foreseeable” future actions. Cumulative impacts can
be positive or negative.

What kinds of things are monitored?

What is the Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program? Important parts of the environment that need to be
The Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program (CIMP) aims to achieve excellence in environmental management and monitored are called “Valued Components” (VCs).
stewardship through effective monitoring and assessment of cumulative impacts in the NWT. These include:
•water
CIMP and the NWT Environmental Audit are requirements of the Gwich’in and Sahtu land claim agreements, the •wildlife and birds
Agreement, and Part 6 of the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. Monitoring programs and audits are also
•vegetation and fire
recognized in the NWT Environmental Stewardship Framework.
•fish
This NWT-focused monitoring program is intended to: •air and climate
Beaufort Sea
•human health and wellness
1. Provide high-level guidance and 2. Ensure that regulatory, scientific and 3. Ensure that information related to •marine life
coordination support to monitoring traditional knowledge information cumulative impacts is effectively •snow, ice and permafrost
and research activities. related to cumulative impacts is and efficiently managed, analysed
effectively and efficiently collected and reported. Each VC is monitored in the NWT
•Identify priority information gaps
through enhanced partnerships. using programs developed by communities,
relevant to cumulative impact •Improve data management,
governments, industry and other organizations.
monitoring. •Ensure a standardized, tiered analysis and reporting capacity.
These programs often require different groups to
system of data collection Great Bear
Great Bear LakeLake

•Provide strategic support to •Increase accessibility of Yukon work closely together. CIMP staff have engaged
and reporting is applied in Territory
Nunavut
monitoring and research projects environmental information for experts in their respective fields to form VC
the NWT using common

Ma ckenzie River
that will yield results relevant project planning, environmental Advisory Teams for each of the VCs. These
protocols (for government
to making decisions about review and impact assessment. individuals are experts from Aboriginal
baseline, community-based
environmental and resource governments, territorial and federal governments,
and regulatory monitoring). •Increase reporting and overall rd Riv
e r

management. Lia
academia, co-management bodies, industry and
understanding of the NWT
•Enhance partnerships and Great Slave
Great Slave LakeLake
environmental non-government organizations.
•Ensure the NWT Environmental environment. r
coordinate monitoring activities Based on the best available scientific and

Sl a v
ive
Audit is completed and

yR

eR
Ha
British Columbia
amongst public, private and

iver
traditional knowledge, VC Advisory Teams provide
recommendations are addressed. Alberta
community-based organizations. Saskatchewan information and advice to the CIMP Secretariat that
•Fulfill environmental is used to develop the most effective monitoring
•Increase the capacity of NWT
monitoring-related land claim programs for each VC.
partners to participate in
and statutory obligations.
monitoring programs.