Goals, Objectives and Performance Reporting — Continued

Goal 1: Sound governance

Principles, policies and legislation to guide sustainable resource management

The ministry is striving to produce principles, policies and legislation which are clear, stable and focused on strategic, performance-based regulation; on finding an acceptable balance between development and conservation; and on supporting decision makers in government and business. These are helping to deliver investment and jobs while preserving key environmental values.

Objective 1: A provincial approach to sustainable resource management established and implemented by the government

The ministry made considerable progress in working with other agencies and clients to establish a set of sustainability principles that will be considered by Cabinet in spring 2003. This objective, therefore, is largely accomplished. In addition, the ministry has completed the review of fee applications and is now concentrating on reviewing resource rents.

Planned Strategies • Develop sustainability principles as part of a sustainable resource management strategy to ensure that the natural resource ministries receive clear policy and direction on the balance among economic, environmental and social objectives. • Review pricing and tenure allocation policies for land and water, and pricing policies for resource information.
Performance Measures	Targets	Actual	Explanation of Variance
• Sustainable resource management strategy approved by Cabinet	• Approval by end of 2002/03	Substantially achieved • Consultation on sustainability principles completed • On target for final review by Cabinet in context of the Working Forest policy by June, 2003	• Final timing of Cabinet submission is at the discretion of the Deputy as it needs to be linked to the completion of consultation on the Working Forest policy.

Accomplishments

• Draft set of sustainability principles approved by Cabinet in May 2002. The ministry then undertook a focused consultation process with industry, First Nations, non-government organizations and government. As part of this, the ministry hosted a "Governance for Sustainability Workshop" in June 2002, and a number of "Policy Talks" with the academic community.
• Cross-government working group on sustainability principles and application models established. The ministry also assisted in preparation of reports by a number of regional sustainability initiatives including the Fraser Basin Council, the Georgia Basin Ecosystem Initiative, the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin International Task Force and the Pacific North West Economic Region.
• Completed pricing policy analyses for land and water application fees. Fee proposals were presented to the Government Caucus Committee on Government Operations, Treasury Board and Cabinet (land and water, Property Assessment Appeal Board, e-filing and miscellaneous fees). Policy and rate analyses are in progress for rental rates and resource information.

Objective 2: First Nations interests considered with respect to Crown land and resource allocation and use

The ministry accomplished its targets under this objective. However, it amended strategies in response to recent court decisions and changing government policies and priorities. In particular, it considerably increased its focus on the development of consultation and accommodation policies and guidelines as well as protocol and other types of agreements to facilitate land-use planning, economic development and data sharing.

Planned Strategies • Revise, consistent with the referendum results, land and resource mandates for negotiations with First Nations. • Revise provincial policy for consulting First Nations about Crown land allocation and resource use.
Performance Measures	Targets	Actual	Explanation of Variance
• Land and resource negotiation mandates and consultation policies approved	• Approval by end of 2002/03	On target • Provincial policy for consultation with First Nations approved • Specific land and resource mandates as requested by Treaty Negotiations Office (TNO) approved	• Mandate work is driven by the specific need of TNO at the various negotiating tables.

Accomplishments

As part of its planned strategies, the ministry:

• Provided advice and support on corporate consultation issues to support ministry land-use planning and other ministries on operational guidelines for consultations, as well as on specific consultation issues.
• On treaty issues, provided advice and support for the Provincial Referendum on Treaty Principles. It also advised treaty negotiators in the development of interest papers and draft chapters for various treaty tables, including: Tsawwassen, Lheidli T'enneh, Gitanyow, Sliammon and Snuneymuxw.
• Helped negotiate over 90 protocol and other agreements with First Nations on economic development, land-use and resource management planning, data exchange and other matters which will encourage investment and assist rural community development.
• Developed a comprehensive list of agreements between Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management (MSRM) and First Nations, established a process to obtain timely updates and created and maintained a database of agreements.

As under amended strategies noted above, the ministry:

• Considerably increased its role as advisor on consultation and accommodation issues.
• Coordinated development of prototype software that will allow government staff to determine the appropriate First Nation(s) to consult on operational activities, and also to track and provide information on consultation activities with First Nations.

Objective 3: Performance-based regulation and reduced regulatory requirements

The ministry is on schedule in meeting this objective. A new strategy being pursued this year is to develop a cross-government framework for management of contaminated sites on provincial lands. All strategies under this objective will result in clear strategic direction on sustainable Crown land resource development.

Planned Strategies • Develop principles and guidelines for performance-based regulations in collaboration with resource ministries. • Move to a ministry regulatory framework that uses performance-based standards. • Reduce the number of regulatory requirements in ministry legislation.
Performance Measures	Targets	Actual	Explanation of Variance
• Number of regulatory requirements	• One-third reduction in regulatory requirements by end of 2004/05	On target • 12.1% reduction (as of March 31, 2003, which is ahead of the internal target for 2002/03 of 11.2%)	• On track to meet 2004/05 target.

Accomplishments

• Improved the certainty of land access and tenure through legislative and policy changes (e.g. achieved Land Surveyor Act amendments to support continued certainty of private title).
• Led government's response to the Auditor General's Report on Managing Contaminated Sites on Provincial Lands and established the ministry management program. Further, MSRM headed a cross-ministry study on establishment of a BC Trust for Public Lands.

Goal 1 Resources

Operating expenditures were $2.0 million, 2% of the ministry total.