Baselode offered to build a cell tower for the community, but Desjardin said he told them it wasn't a high priority.
Birch Narrows wanted a detailed wildlife and habitat impact study conducted before things went any further. Desjardin said the endangered woodland caribou are his biggest concern.
"Also as a trap line area, we carry out extensive activity: trapping, hunting, fishing. We've done it for generations. It's been passed down to us for a long, long time," he said.
"We have people who have passed away on those trap lines, who have given up their lives on those trap lines in their struggle to feed their families. That area means a lot to us. It's not just an ordinary piece of land. It has a lot of significance to us as a community."