Related Initiatives and Planning Processes

Regulatory Reform

The Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Assessment Office have undertaken significant deregulation and regulatory reform initiatives that aim to ensure British Columbia’s regulatory climate enables strong economic growth while maintaining effective environmental standards.

Regulatory reform has been and will continue to be undertaken under each core business area as the Ministry of Environment pursues its shift from a prescriptive to a results-based approach to regulation. For example, the implementation of new regulations and codes of practice under the Environmental Management Act and Integrated Pest Management Act will reduce regulatory burden, clarify responsibilities and make more efficient use of ministry resources.

Another three-year plan for regulatory reform has been introduced by the government. The ministry will support this initiative by committing to controlling regulatory burden and improving regulatory quality. The cross-government target of a 0% increase in regulations will be maintained through 2008/09. Over the next three years, the ministry will continue its review of legislation and regulations (e.g., the Wildlife Act) and look for opportunities that will shift the ministry’s regulations to be more citizen-centred, cost effective, results based and responsive to our clients by reducing and/or streamlining the steps or processes involved in complying with ministry regulations.

Information Resources Management Plan

Both the Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Assessment Office identify the alignment between information management, information technology and the business requirements in their respective Information Resource Management Plans.

An overview of the Ministry of Environment’s Information Resource Management Plan is available on the ministry’s website:

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/sp/2006/irmp.html

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/sp/2006/irmp.pdf

An overview of the Environmental Assessment Office’s Information Resource Management Plan is available on the EAO’s website:

http://www.eao.gov.bc.ca/publicat/irmp-05-06/IRMP-05-01-17.pdf

Citizen-Centred Service Delivery

As identified under Goal 5, Objective 1, the ministry is striving to ensure it is a citizen centred organization. The ministry serves the citizens of British Columbia as well as industry, business, associations, communities, academic and environmental organizations and other government agencies. The ministry is continuing its efforts of providing citizen centred service by identifying service needs and expectations. To gauge its success, the ministry has introduced a new performance measure to monitor changes in the level of satisfaction with ministry services. The ministry is applying innovative service solutions that support quality services, information accessibility, well-designed and well-managed outreach programs, and parks, fish and wildlife opportunities.

Specific activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The ministry has committed additional financial resources of approximately $20 million to upgrade park facilities over the years 2005/06–2007/08.
• The ministry is working with the Integrated Land Management Bureau (ILMB) in its Front Counter BC initiative to support that agency’s delivery of “single point of contact” services through regional centres, for a number of natural resource ministries and agencies. The ministry’s clients will be able to seek information and make application for the use of natural resources through ILMB that are under the jurisdiction of the ministry.
• The ministry has launched the Permit and Authorization Service Bureau that can handle approximately 20,000 applications for park use permits, fish and wildlife permits and commercial licences per year. Applications can be downloaded over the Internet, faxed or mailed into one office.
• The ministry has incorporated new program areas that increase its capacity and responsibilities for the collection, storage and dissemination of scientific information. Through its website, the ministry continues efforts to provide accurate and updated information for British Columbians.
• The ministry will continue to lead, inform, involve and support clients, partners and citizens in environmental protection and management through consultation, outreach programs and shared stewardship.
• The ministry will continue the annual visitors’ satisfaction survey for park and campground facilities, and evaluate client satisfaction with fish and wildlife opportunities through a regular hunter/angler survey.