Introduction to the Service Plan

This updated service plan presents the goals, objectives and expected results over the 2005/06 – 2007/08 period for the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands and the Integrated Land Management Bureau.

The mandate of the ministry is to enhance the economic development and environmental sustainability of the agriculture and food sectors and Crown land, while delivering safe, high quality products for the enjoyment and well-being of B.C.'s citizens. Services provided by the Ministry fall broadly into two groups:

• those supporting the agriculture and food sectors (food industry development initiatives, improving resource and risk management practices in the agriculture and aquaculture sectors and enhancing food safety and quality); and
• those developing and applying strategic and operational policies for the allocation, pricing and management of Crown land (including contaminated sites on Crown land).

These services are essential to improving the global competitiveness of B.C. and our ability to attract private investment, and to stimulate and promote economic growth, job creation and healthy living across the province.

The Integrated Land Management Bureau (ILMB) reports through the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. The bureau is a client-focused organization providing services, on behalf of the ministry and other provincial ministries and agencies, to clients outside the provincial government seeking access to, and/or information about, the province's natural resources. It does this by: coordinating applications for access to Crown resources (tenures, permits, licences, Crown grants, etc) through regional Front Counter BC – Natural Resource Opportunity Centres; developing, implementing and revising land-use plans; managing and delivering resource information; and prioritizing and coordinating recovery planning for broad-ranging species-at-risk. With respect to the specific relationship between the ministry and the bureau, the bureau works within the Crown land-use policies set by the ministry, provides land and resource-use planning guidance for the ministry and provides one-stop access to Crown land authorizations by the ministry — thus supporting the sustainable economic development of the province's natural resources.

This service plan update for the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands and the Integrated Land Management Bureau is divided into two parts:

• Part A: Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
• Part B: Integrated Land Management Bureau