Part A: Integrated Land Management Bureau

Bureau Overview

Purpose of Bureau

The Integrated Land Management Bureau provides a range of services to the public and to other government agencies involved in utilizing and managing Crown land and natural resources. External clients range from those seeking access for business, community, recreational or other reasons to those interested in the effective environmental stewardship of land and resources. The Bureau assists clients by coordinating access to tenures, permits, licences, Crown land sales and grants; developing and facilitating the implementation of strategic Crown land-use plans; managing and providing land and resource information; and prioritizing and coordinating recovery planning for broad-ranging species-at-risk.

The work of the Bureau helps provide access to natural resources for six important sectors of our economy, which directly account for about 13 per cent of the province's GDP — forestry; tourism; mining; oil, gas and energy extraction; agriculture; and aquaculture.1 Over 40 per cent of communities outside of Greater Vancouver are dependent on natural resources for more than 30 per cent of their income.2 B.C. is Canada's most biologically diverse province and is home to more than half of the fish and wildlife species living in the country.3

Crown lands and resources are major contributors to the economic, social and environmental health of the province. In addition, 94 per cent of the province's land area is publicly owned, and its use and management is intertwined with the province's economy, history and social fabric.

In providing its services, the Bureau plays a key role in improving coordinated access to Crown natural resources, furthering government's commitment to a strong economy, vibrant communities, environmental stewardship and the development of strong, mutually supportive relationships with First Nations.
1  When secondary benefits to a range of sectors are included, the figure rises to 36 per cent of GDP (2004 GDP figures at 1997 prices). Source: BC Stats.
2  Source: BC Stats.
3  Source: B.C. Ministry of Forests and Range.

The Bureau's services to the public are provided on behalf of numerous provincial ministries, five of which oversee the work of the Bureau as an advisory board. The five ministries are: Agriculture and Lands; Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources; Environment; Forests and Range; and Tourism, Sport and the Arts. The Bureau also provides corporate leadership and coordination on behalf of government regarding the sustainable use and management of natural resources and related information. Established in 2005, the Bureau is hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. While the Bureau is formally accountable in financial and performance terms to the Minister of Agriculture and Lands, it operates relatively independently of the Ministry.

The Bureau's regionally-based FrontCounter BC service expands the range of natural resource authorizations and integrates Crown land use, land-use planning and the provision and analysis of land and resource information. This consolidation of services at the regional level is part of a government-wide initiative to become more "citizen-centred". This service will improve effectiveness and efficiency by providing a "one-stop shop" for people and businesses requiring access to provincial natural resources. FrontCounter BC assists these clients and provides a single-window access point for over 80 different types of authorization applications concerning natural resources on behalf of the ministries and other agencies it serves.4 Similarly, on behalf of the natural resource sector, the web-based Integrated Land Management Bureau's Natural Resource Information Centre provides a single window to the province's common land and resource information products and services on the Internet.
4  The ministries have a mandate to adjudicate non-Land Act natural resource authorizations. They review and make decisions on the applications. The Bureau tracks the progress of applications and communicates the results to the client. In the case of applications for new and replacement land tenures under the Land Act or Crown land sales, the Bureau also adjudicates these applications on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands.

Vision, Mission and Values

Vision

World-leading natural resource service delivery that exceeds expectations and provides business certainty for our clients.

Mission

Deliver integrated natural resource information and services that are leading edge, timely, client-friendly and responsive, and that support a vibrant B.C. economy, healthy communities and a sustainable environment.

Values

  • Professionalism and courtesy
  • Innovative and creative — challenge the status quo
  • Accountability and transparency
  • Responsiveness and reliability
  • Timely service delivery
  • Demonstrated excellence in communication, facilitation and mediation

The values which guide staff are reflected in the strategies that have been developed to ensure the Bureau reaches its goals and objectives. For example, one key strategy of FrontCounter BC involves the provision of professional, knowledgeable support to natural resource clients. Another strategy is to provide FrontCounter BC services in a fair and transparent manner. The Bureau demonstrates it can provide this support timely and efficiently through the use of client surveys and Bureau – Agency/Ministry agreed-to application processing time performance measures.

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