Appendix 5. Glossary

Allowable Annual Cut (AAC) — The rate of timber harvest permitted each year from a specified area of land, usually expressed as cubic metres of wood per year.

Animal Unit Months (AUMs) — The unit by which forage or grazing capability of Crown range land is measured. It represents the amount of forage, required for one month by an average cow, aged 6 months or older.

Certification — The process of identifying forest products as those produced by organizations whose forest practices or management systems meet a set of defined voluntary certification standards, based upon independent assessments. Certification is intended to assure companies and consumers around the world that the forest products they purchase come from well-managed forests.

Core Business Area — A set of key functions with a common purpose related to the goals of the ministry.

Corporate Performance Measures — Measurable factors of significant importance to the organization in achieving the strategic goals and objectives. A performance measure is a quantified, time specific measure used to indicate the degree of success the ministry has in achieving its goals, objectives and strategies.

Criteria and Indicators — A criterion is a category of conditions or processes by which sustainable forest management may be assessed. An indicator is a measure of an aspect of the criterion. Those used in Canada are generally based on the Montreal Process initiated in 1994. This was an international meeting where criteria and indicators for the conservation and sustainable management of temperate and boreal forests were developed and agreed to internationally.

Defined Forest Area Management — Changing the volume-based forest management regime prevalent throughout much of the province, to defined forest areas, managed with key attributes of area-based tenures (e.g., Tree Farm Licences).

Discretionary Silviculture Activities — Silviculture activities that are not required by legislation. These may include backlog reforestation, reforestation activities on some areas burned by wildfire, and brushing, spacing, fertilizing and pruning.

Forest and Range Assets — All the forest and range resources on Crown land, including the water, soil, bio-diversity, timber, forage, wildlife habitat, recreation, and scenic resources.

Full-time Equivalent (FTE) — The equivalent of one person working 1,827 hours in one year.

Goals — Goals are the ends that the ministry wants to achieve in fulfilling its mandate and mission. Goals are long-range outcomes that guide an organization's efforts in moving towards a desired future state.

Industrial Use Forest Service Roads — Are roads that are owned and operated by the ministry, but maintenance is delegated to an industrial user.

Key Outcome Indicators — Key outcome indicators, represent key results related to an organization's goals, but that are often not directly attributable to their business activities. Logic models are used to link outcomes to business activities.

Mission — Describes the reason for the ministry's existence. It defines what the ministry does, why it does it and for whom.

Objective — A broad time-phased accomplishment required to realize the successful completion of a strategic goal. Objectives are general statements about desired business area results.

Provincial Forest Land-base — Crown land designated by the Forest Act (Section 5) as under the direct jurisdiction of the Ministry of Forests. This is generally equivalent to the Crown land area in TFL's, Woodlot Licences, and TSA's (excluding vacant Crown land).

Public Use Forest Service Road Maintenance Standards — Include user safety maintenance activities such as road surface maintenance and sight line brushing as well those activities required for the protection of the environment. User safety maintenance activities will be commensurate with the types of vehicles and pattern of use.

Strategies — Describe how implementing a specific set of activities will achieve an objective.

Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) — SFM, as defined by the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers is: "To maintain and enhance the long-term health of our forest ecosystems, for the benefit of all living things both nationally and globally, while providing for environmental, economic, social and cultural opportunities for the benefit of present and future generations."

Targets — Performance targets express pre-set quantifiable performance levels to be attained at a future date.

Tenures Offered to First Nations — Measures the number of invitations made under the Forest Act, which was amended in 2002 to allow the Minister of Forests to invite, without competition, applications from First Nations for a forest tenure.

Timber Supply Area (TSA) — Land designated under the Forest Act that is managed for sustainable timber harvest, as determined by an allowable annual cut. There are currently 37 TSAs in British Columbia.

Values — An expression of the ministry's core values and fundamental beliefs that inform the ministry's management style, organizational principles and rules of personal and organizational behaviour.

Vision — A clear, concise and compelling picture of the ministry's preferred future.

Wilderness Forest Road Maintenance Standards — Include those activities required for the protection of the environment, activities do not include surface maintenance or sight line brushing. As such, only bridge repair and those maintenance projects required to mitigate environmental problems, like mass wasting or washouts, which may impact residential or worker safety, improvements, or natural resources, will be carried out. Wilderness maintenance activities will include culvert and bridge removal, water-bars, partial or full pullback of side slopes and cross ditches.