Ministry Overview and Core Business Areas

Since its establishment in 1912, the Ministry of Forests (MoF) has been mandated to protect and manage the public's forest and range resources. As stewards of these resources, the ministry has the responsibility to ensure that their use to generate economic benefits is balanced with their long-term viability. In support of this, the ministry delivers programs and services through seven Core Business Areas. Information on the resources and FTEs associated with each Core Business is located in the Resource Summary on the following page.

1. Forest Protection — Focuses on protecting lives, forest resources and investments in the forest land-base from wildfire. Also included is the detection and management of insect pest outbreaks, such as the Mountain Pine Beetle, on areas under the responsibility of the province as well as outbreaks of local significance.

2. Stewardship of Forest Resources — Focuses on ensuring sound environmental stewardship of forest and range resources through the regulation of forest and range practices, timber supply planning and allowable annual cut (AAC) determination, range management, control of invasive alien plant species, recreation management, applied research, forest gene resource management and tree improvement.

3. Compliance and Enforcement — Focuses on upholding BC's laws, within the MoF's jurisdiction, that protect the province's forest and range resources. Primary activities include enforcing environmental standards and revenue policies and combating "forest crimes" (theft, arson).

4. Pricing and Selling Timber — Focuses on promoting a strong forest economy and a competitive forest sector through a fair pricing system, effective allocation and administration of timber harvesting rights, and a safe and cost effective road infrastructure to access timber. Activities to include timber tenure administration, timber pricing, market access activities, maintaining a forest road infrastructure and First Nations consultation.

5. BC Timber Sales — Focuses on providing British Columbians with benefits from the commercial use of public forests. Primary functions include developing Crown timber for auction, creating and maintaining a BC Timber Sales road and bridge infrastructure, and achievement of reforestation obligations.

6. Executive and Support Services — Focuses on corporate governance and service delivery activities in support of all ministry functions. Activities are structured within key frameworks for policy and legislation development, performance management, and internal audit and evaluation. Support service activities include finance and administration, human resources, central infrastructure management, Freedom-of-Information, records management, continuous improvement and the application of information technology.

7. Forest Investment — Focuses on providing funding to support sustainable forest management practices, improve the public forest asset base, and promote greater returns from the utilization of public timber. Forest Investments are delivered through seven programs administered by government or through third-party administrators. Forest Investment Account (FIA) programs provide funding to a variety of recipients including tenure holders, forest sector associations, researchers, manufacturers, and government agencies.