Core Business Areas

The Ministry has eight core business areas, two of which are defined by unique funding sources, the BC Timber Sales Special Account and the Forest Investment Account.

1. Protection Against Fire and Pests

The Ministry manages wildfire to protect natural resource inventories and investments in the forest landbase. Our forest fire response is primarily focused on protecting lives and government forest assets, particularly timber. Without fire protection, some 500,000 hectares of productive forest could be lost annually, costing the Province billions of dollars in potential direct revenue.

Forest Protection also includes the detection and management of insect pest outbreaks and the control of invasive plants in areas under the responsibility of the Province. Insect pests of key significance are bark beetles and gypsy moth infestations. Other defoliators, endemic pests and outbreaks of local significance are also managed.

2. Forest Stewardship

The functions in this core business area are fundamental to ensuring sound environmental stewardship and a competitive regulatory framework to ensure forest resources are used in a sustainable way. British Columbia and companies operating here are recognized as world leaders in sustainable resource management. Government's regulatory framework provides a foundation for forest certification of company operations.

Stewardship includes the regulation of forest practices, inventory, timber supply planning and allowable annual cut determination, applied research, silviculture, and forest gene resource management.

3. Compliance and Enforcement

This core business includes all activities related to upholding B.C.'s laws for protecting the Province's forest and range resources under the Ministry's jurisdiction including:

• enforcing environmental practices, results and strategies for forest and range management carried out both by the Government and by forest and range tenure holders under the Forest Practices Code until December 31, 2006 and under the new Forest and Range Practices Act starting January 31, 2004;
• enforcing regulations to minimize fire, pests, and unauthorized activities that threaten the Province's forest and range resources;
• under a signed agreement with the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, enforcing rules governing the use of forest recreation sites and trails;
• enforcing the revenue and pricing legislation that govern removal and transportation of timber, marking, scaling, marine log salvage; and
• combating forest crimes (theft, arson, mischief) which are a significant drain on provincial revenue and a significant risk to other environmental, social and economic values.

4. Forest Investment

The Forest Investment Account is a forest-sector investment model, led by Government, established to deliver investments on Crown land through five programs (see Table 2) in an accountable, efficient manner. Investment dollars have been directed to activities on public land that foster sustainable forest management and improve the public forest asset base. Governance of these programs is overseen by the Forest Investment Council and multi-disciplinary boards, councils or steering committees at the program level.

Administration of most Forest Investment Account activities is provided by third parties: PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Federation of B.C. Woodlot Associations and Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd.

Third-party administrators provide the following services:

• accept investment schedule proposals and confirm they constitute an optimum mix of expenditures to promote sustainable forest management;
• ensure that each proposed activity is eligible for Forest Investment Account funding;
• provide funds to successful proponents and track project delivery; and
• are responsible for performance and financial auditing.

Table 2 lists the programs with their administrators.

Table 2: Administration, Planning and Reporting Responsibilities for Forest Investment Account Programs

Forest Investment Account programs that support the Ministry's sustainable forest resources goal at the provincial level include the Forest Science, Tree Improvement and Crown Land Use Planning programs. This goal is also supported through the Land Based Investment Program at a local level where funding is allocated to tree farm licence holders, woodlot licence holders, community forest agreement holders and certain tenure holders in each timber supply area to support incremental activities on public land in the areas of sustainable forest management planning, enhanced forestry, watershed restoration and resource inventories.

Under the goal of "Sustainable socio-economic benefits from forest and range resources", the Forest Investment Account programs promote investment in product development and international marketing activities. Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd., a Crown corporation, administers these activities at the provincial level.

5. Range Stewardship and Grazing

This area focuses on establishing a healthy ranching/livestock industry and ensuring sound environmental stewardship of the range resource through the regulation of range practices and forage supply management. Primary activities include: allocating, administering and managing range use (under Goal 2); evaluating rangeland health and effectiveness of range practices; restoring degraded rangeland ecosystems (Goal 1); and promoting and fostering rangeland use and management (both goals). The Ministry champions integrated provincial responses or strategies to address serious threats, such as land alienation, recreational use, forest encroachment on grasslands, in-growth/infilling in dry forest ecosystems, mountain pine beetle impacts on natural range barriers and other range-related epidemics. All of these activities are aimed at maintaining or improving the health of the beef cattle industry in the province.

6. Pricing and Selling Timber

The Forest Service has a core responsibility to provide British Columbians with benefits from the commercial use of public forests. This is supported by a strong forest economy and a competitive forest sector, which in turn depend on a fair pricing system, effective allocation and administration of timber harvesting rights, and a safe and cost-effective road infrastructure to access timber, forest-based communities and recreation areas.

Core business activities to achieve this goal include promoting a competitive forest sector through timber tenure administration, timber pricing (tied to BC Timber Sales activities), scaling, market access activities, maintaining a forest road infrastructure and First Nations consultation and accommodation.

7. BC Timber Sales

The BC Timber Sales organization supports B.C.'s timber pricing system by developing and offering for sale through auction, a significant portion of the provincial allowable annual cut. In doing so, the division generates pricing and cost data to drive market-based pricing, earns substantial net revenue for the Crown, and provides competitive access to timber for industry. BC Timber Sales is obligated to meet all requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Forest Practices Code, including achievement of reforestation obligations. BC Timber Sales publishes a separate Service Plan each year, available at: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/bcts/.

8. Executive and Support Services

This core business focuses on corporate governance and service delivery activities in support of all Ministry functions. Governance activities include: policy and legislation development, performance management, financial management, strategic human resources and information management. Executive, regional and district management, and staff in the Corporate Services Division play a key role in delivery of these functions.

Support service activities also include central infrastructure management, Freedom of Information, records management, continuous improvement and the application of information technology. These services are delivered at all levels of the organization — branch, region and district. While focused on supporting internal management and employees, they also serve industry and the general public.

Information Resource Management Plan

The Ministry's Information Resource Management Plan supports the work of all core business areas. An overview is available on the Ministry website at: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/mof/irmpoverview/.