Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Results

Overview

This section presents the ministry’s goals, indicates their linkage to government’s Five Great Goals and outlines how specific objectives and strategies within the ministry’s eight core business areas are helping to achieve the ministry’s goals, as tracked by performance indicators.

Ministry Goals and Their Linkage to the Five Great Goals

Government’s goal to “Lead the world in sustainable environmental management, with the best air and water quality, and the best fisheries management,” is directly supported by the ministry’s goal of Sustainable Forest and Range Resources. In 2006/07, MoFR will continue to support this goal with new reforestation initiatives, performance-based regulation, a fuel management strategy, management of Mountain Pine Beetle impacts through implementation of the Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan, assessment of forest practices in relation to climate change and ongoing management programs that support sustainable forest resources.

The ministry directly supports the Government’s goal to “Create more jobs per capita than anywhere in Canada,” by working to maintain competitive forest and cattle industries, completing market pricing reform, improving market access through trade negotiations and expanded markets in Asia, and supporting rural job creation for First Nations and communities. Optimization of Crown forest revenue supports all of the government’s goals.

Cross Ministry Initiatives

Mountain Pine Beetle

The Ministry of Forests and Range is the lead agency coordinating Government’s response to B.C.’s Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic. In 2005/06, the federal government provided $100 million over three years through the Mountain Pine Beetle Emergency Response: Canada-B.C. Implementation Strategy. This funding supports the province’s five-year Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) Action Plan. The plan also provides a framework to guide provincial agencies, and to assist communities, First Nations and stakeholders in mitigating the economic and environmental impacts of the infestation. In addition, the Forests for Tomorrow reforestation program that began in March 2005 provides funding for rehabilitation and regeneration of forests and ecosystems affected by wildfires and the Mountain Pine Beetle.

Responding to the MPB epidemic in the long term requires ongoing cross government co-ordination. Short- and long-term plans are focused on:

• Mitigating the impacts of the infestation on the forest resource, while recovering the greatest value and maintaining and protecting public health, safety and infrastructure. These activities involve working with the federal government, the Government of Alberta, and the B.C. Ministries of Agriculture and Lands, Environment, Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, Community Services, Transportation and Health.
• Minimizing the socio-economic impacts of the infestation while encouraging long-term community sustainability. Many of these actions are long term, and will be developed and implemented working with the Ministries of Agriculture and Lands, Economic Development, Environment, Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Tourism, Sport and the Arts, Inter-Governmental Relations, and Advanced Education.

Other priority cross ministry initiatives for the Ministry of Forests and Range include First Nation relationships, Front Counter BC, and Forest Safety.

• First Nations — The Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation (MARR) is the lead government agency in furthering the government’s New Relationship with First Nations and improving First Nations’ economic and social position in B.C.

The Ministry of Forests and Range has a key role in supporting the MARR in treaty negotiations and furthering the New Relationship. The ministry also has a key role in assisting First Nations become active participants in the forest sector. This is achieved through the negotiation of Forest and Range Agreements that provide economic benefits such as opportunities for tenure, and revenue sharing. These same agreements outline a streamlined process of consultation and accommodate for aspects of First Nation rights and title. In addition to these agreements, the MoFR provides additional economic opportunities for First Nations through providing volumes of beetle-attacked and fire-killed timber.

The development of policies and programs that involve First Nations in mitigating the impacts of the Mountain Pine Beetle on the environment and First Nation communities is also a priority for 2006/07.

• Front Counter BC — This new government initiative, involving all the natural resource ministries (MAL/ILMB, MoFR, MoE, MOT and MEMPR), seeks to provide one point of contact for the public and clients in all eight major regions in the province. This coordinated initiative should make it easier for the public to find the right land-based information more efficiently. The front counters are expected to be open for business by March 31, 2006.
• Safety in the Forest Industry — The Ministry of Forests and Range in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services is working with the B.C. Forest Safety Council and Worksafe BC to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries in the forest industry. Recent steps include the appointment of a Manager of Forest Safety Initiatives in B.C. Timber Sales and in the ministry and a review of current legislation, regulation and policy to identify gaps and potential improvements between the ministry and Worksafe BC. The ministry and BC Timber Sales will support the development of a SAFE Companies standard by the BC Forest Safety Council, which will allow forest sector companies to show, by way of an independent audit, that they meet certain benchmark safety criteria. The ministry and BC Timber Sales will also participate in the April 2006 piloting and subsequent implementation of this initiative.

In addition to the above priorities, MoFR also works jointly with the following ministries:

• The Ministry for Economic Development on the Asia-Pacific Strategy and pursuing new markets for forest products. This includes Forestry Innovation Investment’s Dream Home Canada/China marketing program, as well as markets for new wood products from beetle-affected wood;
• The Ministry of Environment on climate change strategies, respond to habitat concerns for species at risk, and coordinate range and fire protection and fuel management in provincial parks and protected areas;
• The Integrated Land Management Bureau on land use planning and strategies, and for providing and using information in the government’s land-base data warehouse;
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Lands on an invasive plant strategy;
• The Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, for forest recreation sites and trails;
• The Ministry of Transportation, for forest road planning and emergency programs;
• The Ministry of Provincial Revenue, regarding forest and range revenue collection; and,
• The Office of Regulatory Reform regarding future regulation.

Performance Plan

In keeping with B.C.’s Eight Reporting Principles to focus on a few, critical aspects of performance, and to better link goals and objectives to results, MoFR has reduced its number of performance measures and indicators from 40 in the 2005/06 Service Plan Update to 11 measures in this plan, and nine in an Appendix.

• Many of the measures that are no longer included in this plan are continuing to be tracked as part of the Ministry’s Internal Service Plan (or Business Plan), to enable the ministry to manage performance effectively.
• The nine measures included in Appendix 2 are part of the Province’s commitment to report on the Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan supported by $100 million in federal funding.

As stewards of British Columbia’s forest and range resources, the Ministry of Forests and Range has the responsibility to ensure the use of these resources to generate economic benefits is balanced with their long-term viability. The ministry ensures that appropriate forest and range management practices and incremental investments are used to maintain and improve the long-term sustainability and health of the province’s forest and range resources.

The province continues to ensure reforestation with the five billionth tree planted in 2002, and an estimated 580 million additional seedlings planted to-date on areas harvested or affected by fire and disease.

This objective reflects the ministry’s intent to protect forest and range resources and investments by minimizing losses and mitigating future risks from wildfire and forest health infestations, including insect pests, diseases and invasive plants.

Over the past three years, achievement of this objective has been supported by implementation of recommendations from the internal and external inquiries of the 2003 and 2004 fire seasons. Several key initiatives were implemented including the addition of 2 air tankers to the fleet, 100 additional firefighters and development of a provincial fuel management strategy. The strategy has provided funding for over 60 Community Wildfire Protection Plans to date and for over 45 fuel management projects that are currently underway. As well, British Columbia has taken on a key role in developing the Canadian Wildland Fire Strategy to help protect communities and accelerate improvements to the provincial and national wildfire infrastructure.

Achieving this objective for wildfire also depends on the severity of hot, dry weather, ground fuel accumulations, and availability of trained crews, equipment, air tankers and other resources. Preparedness, in the form of having crews and resources available, is the best way to address the risk of hot, dry weather. Availability of resources depends on partnerships with the federal government, local governments, communities and the forest industry, which the ministry pursues as a key strategy.

The ability of the ministry to manage forest pest infestations is largely influenced by our predictive ability with insect population cycles, and ongoing monitoring and detection. The ministry coordinates research and modeling of insect populations with other agencies, and ensures that an aerial overview survey of provincial forests is done each year to detect new or growing infestations. Managing forest pests is done in partnership with the federal government and forest industry, and in the case of an epidemic with economic impacts like the Mountain Pine Beetle, in coordination with communities, First Nations and other government agencies.

Strategies for preventing and managing wildfire:

• Ensure fire preparedness and rapid effective initial attack by continuing to implement the new Wildfire Act including streamlined regulations;
• Continue to renegotiate agreements with utilities and develop new agreements with other sectors to increase cost-recovery for fire protection activities; and
• Implementing a fuel management strategy in wildland urban interface areas throughout B.C. by working with the Union of British Columbia Municipalities to heighten provincial awareness through the promotion of FireSmart programs and by assisting communities in developing strategies to identify and reduce the threat from wildfires. This includes the First Nations MPB Fuel Management Program which ensures that Crown provincial land within 2 km of First Nations communities is assessed and treated where required. The First Nations communities will use the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society (FNESS) as their third-party delivery model for this program, as they are already familiar with the FNESS’s Community Fire Life Safety Support program offered to First Nations.

Performance Indicator:

Per cent of wildfire contained at less than four hectares: This is a measure of the ministry’s success rate of initial attack on wildfire that is unplanned, accidental or unwanted (i.e., has potential to cause damage to or loss of timber, range or public resources). If containment is kept to less than four hectares, damage and costs for fire suppression are kept to a minimum. The baseline for this measure was 93 per cent in 2002/03. Data are from the ministry’s Historical Fires Statistics Database.

Strategies for preventing and managing forest pests:

• Early detection and treatment of insect infestations other than Mountain Pine Beetle, including Gypsy Moth and other defoliators.
• Monitor and evaluate forest health status and implement best management practices in support of the timber supply review (TSR) and protection of the 11 resource values under the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA).
• Implement the Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan, more fully described in Appendix 2. This includes:
• Maintaining and protecting public health, safety and infrastructure by reducing catastrophic wildfire risk to communities within beetle-affected areas;
• Controlling MPB infestations to prevent or reduce damage to forests in areas that are susceptible to but not yet experiencing epidemic infestations;
• Minimizing or eliminating the potential for infestation spread from Crown forests, including provincial parks, into Alberta, the boreal forest, or other high value parks and protected areas; and,
• Mitigating the impact on provincial parks and protected areas.

The Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan also includes strategies to address the economic impact of the Mountain Pine Beetle on local communities. These strategies, along with the appropriate indicator, are described under the Ministry’s second goal, Sustainable Forest and Range Benefits.

Additionally, the Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan is supported by nine further performance measures related to the nine programs under the plan. These are included in Appendix 2, with more detailed descriptions of each of the programs, as part of the Province’s commitment to report on the Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan supported by $100 million in federal funding.

Performance Indicator:

The Ministry is investigating a potential new outcome-oriented performance measure to report on the extent of the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation, how it is being addressed through treatments and salvage logging, and the ultimate impact on sustainability of the forest resource.

This measure would track the successful reforestation of areas impacted by the beetle (and subsequently salvage logged, treated or left to reforest naturally). At this time there are decisions pending as to the scale and spatial location of some large scale salvage operations. The outcome of these decisions, and their interaction with the impact of Forests For Tomorrow program implementation, will influence the timing to accurately implement this measure. In the short term the ministry is using a measure of the extent of the highest priority areas treated, as described below.

Per cent of Mountain Pine Beetle Aggressive Emergency Management Units that achieve treatment targets: The Mountain Pine Beetle infestation continues to expand. By Fall 2005, the beetle has infested 8.5 million hectares. Detailed aerial and ground detection is used to map the spread of the beetle and to locate sites that present an opportunity to stop or reduce the rate of spread of the beetle. These areas lie within Aggressive Emergency Management Units (AEMUs) (previously called Suppression Beetle Management Units (SBMUs)) where new infestations are managed through targeted small-block harvesting, felling and burning, use of pheromone baits, or other methods.

Areas where beetle infestations are still active, but there are no opportunities to suppress the populations, are called Containment EMUs (or Holding BMUs). These areas are being harvested via larger blocks to slow beetle spread.

Finally, where the beetle has killed extensive volumes of timber and where there is no reduction in rate of spread possible through harvesting; these areas are included in the Salvage Zone. Harvesting efforts in this zone have no impact on the beetle population and the objective of harvesting here is to recover as much timber value as possible.

The first two unit designations are enabled under section 109 of the Planning and Practices Regulation. In this regulation the Bark Beetle Coordinator may designate Emergency Management Units within the Emergency Bark Beetle Management Area to expedite harvesting for the purposes as indicated above.

The sizes of these three areas are estimated below and change each year, subject to the growth rate of the beetle population. Projections indicate that Salvage Zones and Containment EMUs will continue to grow for the next seven years.

The Aggressive EMUs continue to be the focus of concerted effort under the Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan, and the performance measure below has been selected to report progress on treatments in these units.

Targets for the per cent of the AEMUs to be treated through targeted small-block harvesting, felling and burning, pheromone baits, or other methods, are expected to remain high as these areas represent the best option to control the spread. Targets are established through the development of annual beetle strategies and the availability of funding. In 2004/05 only the area treated by MoFR directly (primarily parks and protected areas) was measured. A policy change in September 2004, led to the ministry being responsible for forest health on all Crown forest areas, and therefore the measure was changed in 2005/06 to report on all Crown forest areas treated under the Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan. (Data source: aerial and ground surveys and treatment records).

*	This measure was introduced in 2005/06, and has been reworded for clarity.

The forest practices and policy framework is managed to achieve government’s goals through setting standards, developing and reviewing policies and legislation, and managing non-statutory information.

The ministry manages the risk to achieving this objective by working with professional associations, a minister’s advisory council and through regular discussion with communities, the public and effective consultation with First Nations.

Strategies:

• Continue to jointly evaluate, improve, and manage the forest practices and planning framework based on best available science;
• Maintain Forest and Range Practices Act working relationships with agencies, licence holders, professional associations and other parties of interest; and
• Develop the non-statutory framework.

Achievement of this objective is measured internal to the ministry.

Statutory decision-makers in MoFR and other agencies are supported by decision tools built from the best available science and analysis. These decisions include determination of Allowable Annual Cut, establishment of Visual Quality Objectives, identification of resource features and operational plan determinations. Achieving this objective depends on coordinated and cost-effective analysis and sound decision-making.

Strategies:

• Applying research and forest analysis to support policy development and statutory decision-making;
• Implement processes that ensure consistent and science based evaluations of plans (i.e., Forest Stewardship Plans) submitted for approval;
• Establish Visual Quality Objectives and identify resource features to ensure adequate protection; and
• Support the Chief Forester’s Timber Supply Reviews as per schedule and in response to timber supply impacts from government decisions and the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic.

Achievement of this objective is measured internal to the ministry.

Restoring and improving forest resources is achieved through improving gene and seed resources, growing improved seedlings, reforestation and other silviculture activities. These activities are supported by quality inventory and data management, operational monitoring of forest practices and the outcomes of licensee strategies, maintenance of long-term environmental monitoring studies, testing of tree-seed parent characteristics, analyses of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon credits, measuring site productivity and predicting the growth and yield resulting from specific activities.

Many of these activities are undertaken collaboratively using multi-stakeholder committees and inter-agency partnerships. The level of funding available largely determines the extent that this objective can be achieved. Specific funding is allocated from the Forest Stand Management Fund, the South Moresby Forest Replacement Account, the Forest Investment Account, the Forests for Tomorrow Program, and the Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan.

Strategies:

• Reintegrate the inventory program into Forest Service operations.
• Through the Forests for Tomorrow program, restore forest resources in areas affected by the Mountain Pine Beetle and fires.
• Further development, training and implementation of the provincial Forest and Range Practices Act Resource Evaluation and the Resource Stewardship Monitoring programs.
• Develop plans to meet multiple species seed and seedling requirements for reforestation under the Forests for Tomorrow program.
• Develop a new program to more proactively manage the risks of fire to achieving forest management goals, the use fire as a tool to achieve forest management goals, and to incorporate fire management goals into higher level plans.
• Work with the Ministry of Environment to further policy on carbon credits and climate change.

Performance Indicator:

The ratio of area reforested to area harvested or lost to fire and pest is a high level indicator of restoration of forest resources, and ultimately of sustainable forest productivity. A ratio of 1.0 indicates that areas being reforested are in balance with those being harvested or lost to fire and pests. A ratio of less than 1.0 reflects a trend towards increased Not Sufficiently Restocked (NSR) with more productive area being harvested or lost to fire and pest than reforested.

• Area reforested includes planting or natural regeneration and is net of plantation failures.
• Area harvested is the gross area harvested, which includes permanent removals of roads and landings from the landbase (as allowed under the Forest and Range Practices Act) as well as uncut reserves (as required under the Forest and Range Practices Act). In order to more accurately reflect the area being actively managed and to be consistent with the Silviculture indicator used in the State of British Columbia’s Forests Report, the ministry is considering changes to the indicator in future years to use the net rather than the gross area harvested.
• Area lost to fire and pest is unsalvageable and offers a viable reforestation opportunity. An area is not tallied as “lost to fire and pest” until it has been surveyed and deemed to present a viable reforestation opportunity.

The ratio uses data from the past five years, submitted by licensees and the ministry, to RESULTS (Reporting Silviculture Updates and Landstatus Tracking System). Data is submitted, according to legislated requirements, before June 1st each year for the previous year ending March 31st. The ministry’s Annual Service Plan Report is finalized in May of each year. The timing of the legislated reporting requirements for industry and the ministry’s Annual Service Plan Report are currently not aligned. Therefore the data produced in the Service Plan is currently always one year behind.

Transition to the new RESULTS information system has required substantial review and reformatting of data, contributing to not having accurate and complete data available in a timely manner. The ministry is making considerable efforts to complete the extra work required, and the data is expected to be fully up-to-date within the next two years.

In 2006/07 the FFT program focuses on strategy development, surveys and site preparation work for those areas not reforested under legislated requirements associated with salvage harvesting. Substantial amounts of planting do not begin until 2007/08, when the downward trend in the indicator is expected to be stopped. Given the one-year delay in data availability, the impact on the indicator is not expected to be observed until 2008/09.

*	Based on a five-year rolling average. Data reported is one year older than the year indicated.

Public reporting on forest practices, program evaluations and the state of the forests can open dialogue with Forest and Range Practices Act inter-agency implementation teams, professionals, the public, and other stakeholder groups. This dialogue is a component to continuous improvement and innovation in forest management.

Strategies:

• Publicly communicate reports from field monitoring and effectiveness evaluations.
• Regularly evaluate and publish information on the state of the forests and results of major program initiatives.
• Continue to improve forest stewardship through dialogue with implementation teams, professionals, public, and other stakeholder groups.
• Support innovation in forest management.
• Improve currency and accuracy of key forest stewardship information.

The next component of the State of the Forests report will be published on the MoFR website in 2006. Results of the field-monitoring program will also be made available on the ministry’s website as they become available.

In 2006/07 this objective focuses on protecting Crown range use and optimizing the use of Crown range resources through administration of rights for its use through the Range Act, agreements under FRPA and the Land Act.

Increasing public pressure on range resources for multiple uses is a risk to achieving this objective. The risk can be managed by working with other agencies on land use planning, evaluating current legislation and policy to assess effectiveness in protecting range resources values, education, extension, monitoring, and compliance and enforcement activities.

Strategies:

• Evaluate rangeland health and effectiveness of range management practices.
• Restore rangeland ecosystems degraded by forest ingrowth, forest encroachment and invasive plants.
• Education, extension and promotion of an understanding of rangeland management for multiple uses.
• Allocating, administering and managing range use.

Performance Indicator:

Per cent of available Crown range under a form of agreement: This measures the effectiveness of the ministry’s allocation and administration of range available for grazing or hay-cutting and is based upon possible and actual range agreement areas. In the past this measure was based on Animal Unit Months, but the change to range agreement areas makes it more representative of the agreement tenuring process. Data are collected from the current records of forest district offices.

A compliance and enforcement regime for the Forest and Range Practices Act and a compliance and enforcement regime for pricing and revenue, will protect the province’s forest and range resources and ensure British Columbians receive fair value from use of those resources, by upholding the law. Risks to achieving this objective are mitigated by having professional accountability for forest practices, a risk-based inspection regime, well-trained staff, effective legal counsel, and by working in partnership with other law enforcement agencies.

Strategies:

• Effective compliance and enforcement staff training and support.
• Applying Quality Assurance principles and procedures to verify government’s (and in particular BC Timber Sales) compliance with its own statutory obligations, and to verify ministry compliance with its compliance and enforcement policies and procedures and the law.

Performance Indicator:

The per cent of forest and range operators’ compliance with statutory requirements that regulate forest practices reflects forest and range operator’s management decisions which are key to the outcome of sustainable forest resources. Information is from the ministry’s Compliance Information Management System. The rate of compliance has consistently been in excess of 90 per cent, the 2001/02 baseline, for the past eight years.

The high level objective of the Forest Investment Account (FIA) is to assist government in developing a globally recognized, sustainably managed forest industry.

Fostering sustainable forest management is pursued through all of the FIA programs, but especially the Forest Science and Crown Land Use Planning programs. Investment dollars are directed to incremental activities on public land — enhanced forestry (stand establishment and treatment), watershed restoration and rehabilitation and resource inventories that support sustainable forest management and increase allowable annual cuts. Risks associated with achieving FI objectives and demonstrating value-for-money are effectively mitigated through third-party administration and audit agreements, program boards and councils, technical standards and oversight provided by the Forest Investment Council.

Strategies:

• Acquire better information about forest resources; foster comprehensive strategic land-use planning; facilitate science-based utilization of the resource.
• Reforest areas denuded naturally or by harvesting before 1987.
• Reclaim and enhance site productivity.
• Restore damaged ecosystems.
• Sound governance and effective and efficient delivery of forest investments through third-party administrators.

Assessing Performance:

Achievement of Forest Investment Account (FIA) objectives and strategies are accomplished through program activities carried out by licensees under the coordination of third-party administrators.

Assessment of outcomes and outputs is captured through annual reports generated by the third-party administrators. These reports can be found at:

• http://www.fialicensees.com
• http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hcp/fia/small_tenures.htm and
• http://www.bcfsp.com/Login/login.asp

Forestry generates substantial revenues to the provincial government yielding a significant net benefit to the broader public interest and remains a major contributor to B.C.’s current and future economic health. Sustainable forest and range benefits rely on a strong forest economy and a globally competitive forest sector, which the ministry supports through its forest revitalization policies. The ministry also recognizes the interests of First Nations in accessing forest and range benefits now and in the future.

Forest tenures are used to allocate, manage and monitor forest resource opportunities to meet social, economic and other public forest policy objectives. A fair and effective tenure system ensures that timber apportioned in Timber Supply Areas is available to licensees. Achieving this objective may be impacted by delays in concluding First Nation consultation processes. The ministry addresses this risk through the First Nations Forest Strategy, which has the objective to increase First Nation participation in the forest sector, and includes negotiation of Forest and Range Agreements which document an agreed upon process for consultation and accommodation on forest management decisions.

The ministry is monitoring and managing potential delays in reallocating the volume taken back from forest licensees under the Forestry Revitalization Act and from the increase in new tenures from additional volume approved for cutting as part of the Mountain Pine Beetle salvage operations.

Strategies:

• Continue implementation of forest policy reform under the Forestry Revitalization Act; including providing new opportunities for First Nations, small tenure holders and communities, through Community Forest Agreements, woodlot licences and other small tenures.
• Effectively issue and administer an increased number of licences to salvage Mountain Pine Beetle affected timber.

Achievement of this objective is measured internal to the ministry.

The ministry has a legislative responsibility to assert the financial interests of the government in its forest and range resources in a systematic and equitable manner. The ministry continually reviews and modifies revenue policies and procedures to ensure that fair value is received.

Strategies:

• Administer the Coast market-based pricing system (MPS), which was implemented on February 29, 2004.
• Implement the Interior market-based pricing system in 2006/07.
• Implement changes to Interior log grades on April 1, 2006.

Performance Indicator:

The Crown forest and range gross revenue is a measure of the value that the public receives from its forest and range resources. The total amount of revenue realized by the ministry and collected by government during the fiscal year includes BC Timber Sales, Timber Tenures, Range Use and other MoFR revenues.

During 2006/07, the U.S. housing market is expected to soften, resulting in lower prices for lumber and other forest products. With a continuing strong Canadian dollar, it is expected that stumpage revenues and harvest volumes will decline slightly for the next few years.

	(Revenue based on revised forecast of January 2006)

This objective reflects the ministry’s intent to maintain the traditional U.S. and Japanese markets and grow in international markets, such as Taiwan, China and Korea. The ongoing effort needed to address the softwood lumber dispute with the U.S. is being managed by the ministry and through partnerships with other ministries, the federal government and Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd.

Strategies:

• Continue to pursue free access for B.C. forest products to markets in the United States.
• Continue to work with Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd. on market access issues.
• Work cooperatively with other agencies and the forest industry to develop a shared vision for growth in value-added products, including encouraging a greater synergy between primary and secondary sectors, maintaining an investment climate conducive to growth and by investing in research, development and marketing that will support this growth.

Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd. (FII) is leading work to expand markets in the Asia Pacific region. Overall success of this component of the objective is described in the separate Service Plans and Annual Service Plan Reports published for the FII.

This objective is supported by the development and implementation of strategic regional socio-economic adjustment plans for forest dependent communities and First Nations within the Mountain Pine Beetle affected areas. Implementation of this objective is through the Community Diversification and Stability program under the Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan (further information in Appendix 2).

The best measure of this desired outcome would be one that relates the economic impact of the Mountain Pine Beetle to a local community, and then shows an economic recovery attributable to socio-economic adjustment planning. This would measure the effectiveness of government in supporting communities impacted by the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic. Given the many different approaches to measuring socio-economic impacts, and the potential difficulties of attributing planning actions on the economic data, the ministry is still exploring the best way to measure these impacts. In the short term a target to measure the development of the socio-economic adjustment plans, is being developed as shown below.

The intent of this objective is to provide the necessary infrastructure to access timber, range, communities, recreation, and other resource values while minimizing environmental impacts. Routine activities that contribute to achieving this objective include carrying out maintenance on Forest Service Roads (FSRs) in conformance with legislation and policies, replacing deteriorated priority Non-Industrial FSR bridges, and deactivating FSRs no longer required.

Achieving this objective is largely influenced by access to funding and resources to replace deteriorating bridges and undertake emergency and routine repairs. These high-cost activities are offset by the benefits of maintaining industrial and community access important to the forest economy and British Columbians. In addition, the costs of mitigating environmental damage and re-establishing access are higher over time, when not addressed in the short term. The ministry received additional funding in 2004/05 and 2005/06 to address Bridge Replacement. This funding has mitigated aspects of this risk in the immediate term; however, over the longer term continued deterioration of FSR non-industrial bridges will continue to impact the ministry’s performance in this area. Regardless, programs, policy and legislation will continue to be reviewed in 2006/07 for changes that will mitigate these impacts and/or reduce ministry costs and risk.

Strategies:

• Develop and implement a Resource Road Act to consolidate road construction, road use, maintenance and deactivation standards between all resource users and agencies;
• Support and participate in BC Forest Safety Council’s “On the Road Safety and Action Plan to encourage safe drivers, safe trucks, safe resource roads and safe highways in the Forest Sector”;
• Rationalize the provincial road network (Forest Service Roads (FSRs) and public roads/highways) between the Ministry of Forests and Range and the Ministry of Transportation;
• Balance the industrial, commercial and public use of the forest road network in a cost-effective manner reflecting the level of use and available funding — this may include deactivation and transfer to other agencies, organizations and ministries;
• Assess and where funding available incorporate the increases to the FSR network resulting from timber re-allocation, wildfire and Mountain Pine Beetle; and
• Improve access infrastructure related to AAC uplift areas due to the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation.

Performance Indicator:

Per cent of Recreational, Community and General Use Forest Service Road (FSR) kilometres maintained by the Ministry which are available for vehicle use: This measure, introduced in 2005/06, has been slightly re-worded for clarity in 2006/07. It is a measure of reliability of the non-industrial FSR network which serves communities and recreation sites, trails and areas, as well as rural residences and commercial operations. This non-industrial FSR network represents approximately 12,750 kilometres (community use 820 km, general use 9 180 km, recreation use 2 750 km). Kilometres of Forest Service Roads that are available for vehicle use, are those that are not closed for safety or environmental reasons (includes non-industrial bridge removal or closure). Industrial-use Forest Service roads are maintained by industrial users under Road Use Permits, and other industrial-use forest roads are maintained under Road Permits and Special Use Permits. FSRs assigned to BC Timber Sales are excluded from this measure. Information is reported by each district.

*	Measure introduced in 2005/06, reworded in 2006/07.

This objective supports the ministry’s intent to provide leadership, negotiation skills, advice and overall coordination with respect to forest and range related issues in the New Relationship with First Nations. Achieving this objective will support government’s objective to ensure Aboriginal communities share in the economic and social development of B.C. The MoFR seeks to work on the following strategies in an open, transparent and collaborative approach with First Nations.

Strategies:

1. Consult with First Nations in accordance with the Crown’s legal obligations while developing relationships.
2. Negotiate agreements with First Nations:
• The First Nations Forest Strategy (FNFS) offers First Nations access to economic forest and range benefits through Forest and Range Agreements (FRAs). Although this is a four-year program ending in 2006/07, the ministry will be working with the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation to determine what changes the New Relationship will have on negotiating these agreements, as well as replacing existing FRAs which begin to expire in 2006/07.
• Increase First Nations’ participation in the Forest Sector through direct award tenures.
3. Support for priority treaty tables.

Performance Indicator:

Total number of Forest and Range Agreements: Forest and Range Agreements, provide a period of stability for forest and range resource development. They include the provision of economic benefits in the form of tenure and revenue sharing as well as consultative arrangements that define an agreed upon process between the ministry and a First Nation for consulting on and addressing aboriginal interests. The time required to conclude negotiations is variable. Offers to negotiate agreements will be made to all 176 eligible First Nations by the end of fiscal 2006/07. (Data source: tracked internally).

In 2006/07, agreements signed in previous years will begin to require replacement. The ministry will be internally tracking the replacement agreements as well as non-FRA accommodation agreements.

1	Some FRA offers include more than one First Nation in the offer. The number of eligible First Nations to be offered agreements is 176. Although offers are made to all eligible First Nations, it is anticipated that not all offers will be accepted and agreements signed. A more accurate estimate of agreements expected to be signed cannot be determined at this time.
2	Subject to changes resulting from the New Relationship with First Nations, discussions with the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, and provision of ongoing funding.

BC Timber Sales is an arm’s length program within the ministry, with operational and financial independence from regional and district operations. The program markets Crown timber to help establish market price (Coast only at this time) and capture the value of the asset for the public. The performance indicators included in this section are only a subset of the measures tracked and reported by BC Timber Sales. For full information on BC Timber Sales resources and measures refer to the BC Timber Sales Business Plan at: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/bcts.

These objectives support: market-based pricing to ensure that the public receives fair market value for the use of its forest resources; the generation of revenue to the Province and the ministry as a major contributor to B.C.’s current and future economic health; and a strong forest economy and competitive forest sector.

Achievement of both objectives may be impacted by uncertainty around impending changes to interior market pricing and lumber grades, which may in turn result in lower bids or reluctance to bid, adversely impacting revenues. Compounded with the continued harvest of lower quality timber from beetle-killed stands, BC Timber Sales is monitoring the impacts and consulting with planning and advisory groups to mitigate the risks.

Strategies:

• Implementing systems and processes to ensure that cost, pricing and operational resource data is complete, accurate, reliable, verifiable, and are seen as credible by others; and
• Working to ensuring a sufficient level of market transactions to support the market pricing system (e.g., negotiating operating areas and the purchase of required assets on lands re-assigned through the timber reallocation process).
• Containing costs and maximizing auction bids, within the parameters of the program’s benchmarking mandate through innovative practices, continuous improvement and by implementing systems and processes to support effective decision-making, and reduce bidder risk; and,
• Implementing a systematic approach to, and continuous improvement of, environmental management systems and sustainable forest management in all Business Areas.
• Pursuing innovative methods to build timber development capacity and inventory levels;
• Eliminating restrictions and barriers to program participation over time; and
• Improving bidder information.
• Supporting the development of a SAFE Companies standard by the BC Forest Safety Council, which will allow forest sector companies to show by way of an independent audit that meet certain benchmark safety criteria. BC Timber Sales will also participate in the April 2006 pilot and subsequent implementation of this initiative.

Performance Indicator:

Per cent of total timber volume available auctioned by BCTS: Per cent of the total provincial ministry annual timber volume available that was auctioned by BC Timber Sales during the year. This is a key outcome indicator of the program’s success in supporting the market based pricing system and being a credible reference point for costs and pricing, producing revenues and opportunities to purchase timber by auctioning an increasing proportion of the available provincial timber. The long-term goal is for BC Timber Sales to auction 20 per cent of provincial timber each year. (Data source: internal tracking and the ministry’s apportionment system.)

The ministry is continuing to revitalize itself with a new vision and revised mission and values statements that reflect the ministry’s role as steward of the province’s forest resources. The effectiveness in achieving our core purpose of ensuring that sustainable forest resources deliver sustainable forest and range benefits for the people of British Columbia is dependent upon expert and knowledgeable staff who will continue to be innovative, responsive and performance-focused. To this end the ministry is focusing on leadership development, being a learning organization and improving organizational wellness.

Additionally, under this goal the ministry oversees the effectiveness of third-party administrators who are responsible for the achievement of the Forest Investment Account (FIA) objectives and strategies.

This objective helps to ensure that the ministry becomes a more effective organization, which is strong, dynamic and adaptable, and focused on achieving its strategic goals.

The achievement of this objective involves excellence in the ongoing implementation and improvement of all standard organizational processes including: performance management, business process improvement, legislation and policy development and coordination, a risk management framework, a Human Resource Strategy framework, a financial framework and services that ensures fiscal accountability and supports effective allocation of resources within the ministry, Information Technology which is aligned with business requirements and appropriate levels of governance and service, management of information holdings as per the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, legal services, and the alignment and delivery of ministry facility, vehicle and equipment infrastructure necessary to meet program demands on a location by location basis.

Strategies:

• Ensure excellent service is provided to clients internal and external to the ministry, for each service outlined above.
• Fully implement the Road Ahead initiative that focuses on six strategies to build a high performing and learning organization that aligns business and people. The strategies address: (1) Mandate — vision, mission and values; (2) Stewardship; (3) Leadership Development; (4) Learning Organization; (5) Workforce Planning; and (6) Organizational Wellness.

The largest risk to the ministry achieving this objective relates to the ministry’s ability to effectively recruit and retain qualified staff. The Road Ahead initiative is expected to effectively mitigate this risk, becoming the basis of the ministry’s Human Resources Strategy over the next 3 to 5 years.

Performance Indicator:

Effectiveness of BC Forest Service as measured by a public survey: The indicator measures how effective the public believes the ministry is at protecting and managing the forest resource based on five variables (forest fire protection, control of pests and disease, reforestation, environmental protection, and regulating forest companies). These variables are combined for the single measure of overall effectiveness, which was 73 per cent in the 2002/03 survey. This is measured in a telephone survey conducted by BC Stats every two years.

Ministry Performance Plan Summary