Appendices

Appendix 1: Forests and Range Organization Structure

LINK TO LARGER VERSION

The Ministry of Forests and Range has a decentralized structure (see Figure above), with the majority of staff in field offices in close proximity to the forests they protect and manage and the clients and communities they serve. The Operations Division of the ministry consists of three forest region offices with 29 forest district offices, 4 satellite offices; and 6 fire centres, 35 zone offices, 59 fire attack bases and 18 air tanker bases. Staff in Operations Division are involved in all core business areas except BC Timber Sales. BC Timber Sales includes 12 BC Timber Sales offices with 19 field team locations.

The Victoria headquarters staff are organized as follows: Corporate Services Division, Operations Division (including Fire Protection), Forest Stewardship Division, Tenure and Revenue Division, and BC Timber Sales. A Mountain Pine Beetle Emergency Response Team, under direction of a new Assistant Deputy Minister, was added in 2005/06 to provide co ordination to government’s response to the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic.

The Forest Stewardship Division includes staff in the Forest Practices Branch, Research Branch, Forest Analysis and Inventory Branch and the Tree Improvement Branch, which manages the Tree Seed Centre and five seed orchard facilities. Inventory staff were transferred to the ministry from the previous Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management in 2005/06.

In the Tenure and Revenue Division are Economics and Trade, Revenue, Resource Tenures and Engineering, and Aboriginal Affairs branches.

The Operations Division personnel in Victoria are the Compliance and Enforcement Branch and executive and support staff to Fire Protection and Field Services staff. The Range Branch, based in Kamloops, B.C., was established in 2005 by bringing together range staff from Forest Practices Branch and staff transferred to the ministry from Land and Water BC.

Corporate Services Division, provide overall co-ordination of policy development and support services to the entire ministry in the areas of financial services, human resources, information technology, and strategic policy and legislation development.

Appendix 2: Federal Funding for Mountain Pine Beetle
Action Plan — Summary

Mitigating the impacts of the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation goes well beyond forestry-related activities or the scope of any one ministry. This prompted the development of a comprehensive annually updated 5-year Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan that provides a broader, longer-term approach involving all appropriate government ministries. In 2005/06 the federal government contributed $100 million that will be utilized over three years to assist the province in implementing the five-year action plan components that are of federal interest. Other components are being supported from provincial funding or through license agreements with industry. Those initiatives are included in other areas of this Service Plan.

The federal funding provided in 2005 addresses strategies that support six of the seven objectives of the MPB Action Plan aimed at mitigating the social, economic and environmental consequences of the MPB infestation now and in the future. These are:

1. Ensuring long-term economic stability for communities;

2. Maintaining and protecting public health, safety and infrastructure;

3. Recovering the greatest value from dead timber before it burns or decays, while respecting other forest values;

5. Preventing or reduce damage to forests in areas that are susceptible but not yet experiencing epidemic infestations;

6. Restoring the forest resources in areas affected by the epidemic; and,

7. Effective overall coordination and management of the Action Plan

The Implementation Strategy includes the following allocations in support of the programs described under each Action Plan Objective.

Funding Allocations by Program

Data to report on actual accomplishments for most of the Performance measures associated with the MPB Action Plan in 2005/06 will not be available until the end of the fiscal year. For this reason “estimated actual” performance has not been provided in this section, but will be reported in the 2005/06 Annual Service Plan Report. The 2005/06 targets from the action plan are indicated.

This objective is to encourage long-term economic sustainability for communities affected by the MPB epidemic by supporting the development and implementation of strategic regional business plans for forest dependent communities and First Nations within the affected areas. Other funding sources further address the implementation of these plans

Program: Community Diversification and Stability.

Strategies:

Supporting development of community economic planning including work to explore possibilities for economic diversification, economic pre-feasibility analysis on opportunities, investment recruitment, business retention, community marketing and general economic research.

Performance Indicator:

Number of regional community associations established with business plans for MPB mitigation: A measure of the many communities and First Nations that have taken the opportunity to develop economic diversification strategies that will mitigate the negative economic impacts of the MPB infestation. (Data source: grant recipients will report outcomes as part of the funding agreement).

This performance indicator has been changed from the one published in the 2005/06 Service Plan. In 2005/06 the measure represented the number of community socio-economic adjustments plans expected at the end of the process. This measure and target was set before it was clear how the community action coalition process would progress. Since the community action coalitions will produce a business plan to initiate the process, and the social-economic plan may take longer than one year to develop, it has been decided to track business plans as most representative of the annual outputs expected from the program. Targets have been adjusted to reflect the new measure.

**	Funding not yet identified beyond 2007/08.

Program: Natural Range

This program seeks to mitigate the impact of MPB on livestock production by controlling livestock distribution and protecting environmental rangeland values in affected communities.

Strategies:

• Replacing natural range barriers and range developments lost or damaged during timber harvesting and associated road construction (not associated with forest licensee responsibilities under the Forest Range and Practices Act);
• Supporting developments to redistribute livestock to use forage produced in beetle kill areas and to control invasive plant spread.

Performance Indicator:

Animal Unit Months (AUMs) of forage protected from loss due to MPB impacts: AUMs of forage authorized measures how well the ministry is maintaining the production and utilization of forage in areas affected by the MPB infestation. (Data source: MoFR district).

*	2005/06 published target — this is being adjusted to reflect new priorities relative to First Nations.
**	Funding not yet identified beyond 2007/08.

This objective reflects the ministry’s intent to maintain and protect public health, safety and infrastructure by reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire close to developed areas. Other programs address health and safety issues such as those associated with the accelerated salvage harvest.

Program: Fuel Management.

Strategies:

Conduct treatments to reduce combustible fuels within the hazardous interface areas surrounding communities to reduce the risk of ignition and spread of wildfire.

Performance Indicator:

Hectares treated for fuel management to protect interface areas impacted by MPB: This measures the ministry’s success in reducing fuel loads through prescribed burning, slash removal on old harvesting sites, planning and integration with other fuel management activities and removal of MPB-affected stands. Data for this measure will be from third-party delivery agents under agreement to carry out these treatments (Data source: Community agreement recipients will report achievements through the program’s third-party delivery agent who will report summary achievements to MoFR on a quarterly basis).

*	2005/06 published target — this is being adjusted to reflect new priorities relative to First Nations.
**	Funding not yet identified beyond 2007/08.

This objective reflects the ministry’s intent to recover the greatest value from dead stands impacted by MPB. The Federal funding is focused on ensuring that market access and manufacturing problems are not the limiting factor to a successful long-term salvage program. Other programs such as the ministry’s accelerated salvage harvest initiative are supporting other aspects of this objective.

Program: Research and Development — Wood Products

Strategies:

• Solving immediate manufacturing problems as quickly as possible to improve the profitability of the dead dry wood; and,
• Developing new products and markets for the material;

Performance Indicator:

Number of new products/applications for MPB timber identified and introduced to markets: Identifying new products will help establish the profitability and value of salvage cutting rights. (Data source: FII Ltd. quarterly and annually).

**	Funding not yet identified beyond 2007/08.

This objective reflects the ministry’s intent to ensure that all resource values are considered in MPB management practices in a manner consistent with existing or revised land use plans. This is primarily a planning, licensing and tenure administration initiative. Federal resources have not been directed to this area.

Actions to control MPB infestations will be taken to prevent or reduce damage to forests in areas that are susceptible to but not yet experiencing epidemic infestations including parks and protected areas. A primary focus is minimizing or eliminating the potential for the infestation to spread from B.C.’s forests into Alberta and beyond to the boreal forests of northern Canada. Various funding sources are supporting aspects of this objective.

Program: Spread Control

Strategies:

• Conducting aerial and ground surveys, spot treatments, prescribed burns and incremental costs for strategic harvesting, such as access improvement planning, to destroy the beetles before they emerge and spread (Spread Control).
• Managing infestation within parks and protected areas on a priority basis through fuel management, spread control using controlled burns, and ecosystem restoration to protect critical species (Parks MPB Control).

Performance Indicator:

Hectares treated through single tree treatments to control rate of spread of MPB: Efforts to limit the spread of the beetle are concentrated on the four forest districts on the eastern edge of B.C. Single tree treatments are being used to prevent the spread of the beetle beyond B.C.’s borders. Data for this measure will be from licensees and third-party delivery agents under agreement to carry out these treatments (Data source: ministry districts).

*	Published target was 6 000 hectares — target was adjusted during 2005/06 to reflect new priorities relative to First Nations.
**	Funding not yet identified beyond 2007/08.

Program: Parks and Protected Areas MPB control

Strategy:

• Managing infestation within parks and protected areas on a priority basis through fuel management, spread control using controlled burns, and restoration within parks. (Parks MPB Control).

Performance Indicator:

Per cent of at risk sites treated in parks and protected areas to mitigate impacts of the MPB infestation: This is a measure of the areas that will receive required treatments on a priority basis, to address public safety from falling snags and fire, fall and burn and fall and removal treatments (Data source: MOE, through regional coordinators and internal tracking mechanisms).

**	Funding not yet identified beyond 2007/08.

This objective includes a variety of initiatives focused on restoring the damaged forest and associated environmental values. It includes programs fundamental to the restoration work and is highly integrated with the activities of other funding sources and ministry initiatives such as the Forests For Tomorrow program.

Program: Inventory

To provide planning information on the spread of the beetle to support the spread control, salvage and follow-up mitigation/restoration programs.

Strategy:

• Ensuring that the various mitigation initiatives have the required land, inventory and mapping information they need to succeed.

Performance Indicator:

Number of map sheets imaged of area susceptible to MPB infestation: This new measure indicates the maps and imagery that will be generated to show current locations of MPB. (Data source: mapsheets).

Program: Bio-Physical Research

To supplement applied research efforts that provide MPB-related information for policy evolution and for resource planning and treatment decision making.

Strategy:

• Providing credible and relevant scientific knowledge to support the conservation of long-term forest values identified in land use plans and restoration of forest resources in areas affected by the epidemic.

Performance Indicator:

Number of peer reviewed project reports or extension events on priority MPB issues: This new measure indicates the number of reports and extension events that provide MPB-related information for policy evolution and for resource planning and decision making in the areas of reforestation and restoration in riparian zones, forest productivity restoration (e.g., erosion mitigation), maintenance of biodiversity (including species at risk, anadromous fish, non-timber forest products, coarse woody debris, critical wildlife habitat structures); silviculture options and improving timber growth and value, and maintenance of watershed and hydrologic functioning (Data source: through program third-party delivery agent to the FIA Forest Science Board).

Program: Ecosystem Restoration

To assess and mitigate the environmental effects on fish, water quality, endangered species and biodiversity (delivered under agreement with and by the Ministry of Environment).

Strategy:

• Addressing MPB impacts through planning, surveys and treatments for terrestrial and aquatic species and habitat restoration, water quality/quantity and other non-timber objectives;

Performance Indicator:

Number of watersheds treated for ecosystem restoration as required as a result of MPB: Specific target watersheds and/or locations in B.C. are being identified for the treatments addressed by this new measure. Treatments include: mitigation options for species-at-risk; treatments in unharvested areas (e.g., old growth, protected areas, riparian areas); modification of habitat, including the use of silviculture techniques; and, treatments that improve fish passage and water quality (Data source: delivery agent for MOE reports quarterly through the MoFR’s reporting process).

**	Funding not yet identified beyond 2007/08.

This objective is achieved through planning and management that supports the overall program. All funding sources and program areas support aspects of this objective.

Appendix 3: Forests and Range 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 rangeland is measured. It is 450 km of forage, which is 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.

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.

Discretionary Silviculture Activities — Silviculture activities that are not required by legislation. These may include backlog reforestation (areas harvested prior to 1987), 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, biodiversity, timber, forage, wildlife habitat, recreation, and scenic resources.

Forest Encroachment — Refers to the intrusion or establishment of a significant number of tress on grassland(s).

Forest Ingrowth — Refers to the process whereby previously open forest becomes more dense, and treed grasslands become more densely covered with young trees.

Forest Stand Management Fund — This account was originally established as a fund by the Forest Stand Management Fund Act, 1986, and was changed to a Special Account under the Special Accounts Appropriation and Control Act in 1988. Revenue is provided by contributions from municipalities, the forest industry, forest sector unions, and others through money collected in accordance with legislation; penalties levied in accordance with legislation; and from stumpage levies. Expenses provide for enhanced management of British Columbia’s forest and rangelands, for silviculture work and costs related to environmental remediation, for the costs of investigating contravention of legislation, for fire suppression costs related to contraventions of legislation where a penalty has been levied in respect of the contravention, and for reforestation and road deactivation in areas subject to stumpage levies. No financing transactions are provided for under this account.

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).

Provincial Forest Resources — Means the resource elements of water, soil, air, and biodiversity (genetic, species and ecosystem) and the resource values associated with provincial forests including, without limitation, timber, forage, wildlife, fish, botanical forest products, cultural heritage resources, visual quality, resource features, and recreation resources.

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.”

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.

Appendix 4: Rationale for Changing Housing Performance Measures

The Office of Housing and Construction Standards has changed several of the performance measures that appeared in the 2004/05 Service Plan. These changes were made for one or more of the following reasons:

1. The new performance measures provide for better links between the Office’s goals and objectives;
2. The new measures are more representative of the activities of the Office; or
3. The new measures reflect common links with service delivery partners (e.g., BC Housing).