Year-at-a-Glance Highlights

The 2003/04 Annual Service Plan Report covers the fiscal year April 1, 2003 to March 31, 2004 and reports on the ministry's 2003/04 – 2005/06 Service Plan, which was prepared under the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act. All ministries are accountable for making yearly progress toward their goals and objectives and to report on that progress to the citizens of British Columbia. This annual report provides the public, stakeholders, legislators and other agencies with meaningful, credible information on the ministry's progress in achieving its vision and mission. It reports on the ministry's performance results and how they may affect future planning.

Some of the ministry's significant actions and achievements over the past year are highlighted below. (See Appendix A for a glossary of terms and Appendix B for the ministry's progress in meeting its New Era commitments.)

April 2003

• A total of $382,600 was dedicated for 16 conservation and outdoor recreation projects in the Okanagan to improve environmental stewardship. This funding will be allocated for key projects, such as three Okanagan University College research projects related to the South Okanagan. Funding will also go to the Okanagan Nation Alliance to set the stage for Okanagan River restoration planning, a project with potential for long-term benefits for fish and wildlife species within the watershed.
• Funding of $2.6 million was dedicated to the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, (www.gofishbc.com) as part of the government's BC Heartlands Economic Strategy. The transfer of provincial freshwater fish hatcheries to this new non-profit society will expand British Columbia's world-class outdoor recreation opportunities by creating new partnerships to increase funding while protecting native fish populations.
• An additional $505,000 was provided to the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund to support the steelhead fish recovery strategy on Vancouver Island and the lower mainland and fish monitoring and applied research in the Krough River (www.hctf.ca/hctf.htm).

May 2003

• The Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia signed the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve Establishment Agreement. The agreement will help protect nationally significant landscapes and seascapes in this unique area.

June 2003

• The province contributed $100,000 to the campaign for the construction of the Kokanee Glacier Cabin, as well as an additional $150,000 in funding and staff time for the project. The cabin was built as a result of a fundraising campaign carried out in memory of Michel Trudeau and others who have lost their lives in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park. The facility will provide a welcome refuge for backcountry users, and will provide information to reduce the risks associated with summer and winter backcountry travel.
• The Wildlife-Human Conflict Prevention Strategy was released, which aims to protect human health and safety and reduce the destruction or removal of wildlife. Ministry staff developed the strategy during the past year with advice from an MLA advisory committee and targeted consultations with selected communities, First Nations, non-government organizations and other jurisdictions.
• A new used oil recycling program was launched by the Minister of Water, Land, and Air Protection at a meeting of the BC Used Oil Management Association. The association is accountable for used oil, used filters and empty oil containers, which can now be returned to any of the more than 400 approved depots across the province.

August 2003

• In response to the provincial forest fire emergency, ministry staff played an important role working in Provincial Emergency Operation Centres (PREOCs). Many ministry employees are members of the Provincial Emergency Program's Temporary Emergency Response Management System (TEAMS). This pool of provincial government employees from across government is trained to provide leadership at the Incident Command Post during an emergency in support of local government and other response personnel.

September 2003

• The provincial government and the Heiltsuk First Nation entered into a new collaborative management agreement that will ensure First Nations are directly involved in new tourism opportunities and conservation. The agreement to co-manage the Hakai Luxvbalis Conservancy Area is the first of its kind on the Central Coast and includes land and marine environments that are renowned for their beauty, eco-tourism and angling.

October 2003

• The ministry and the Nature Trust of British Columbia announced the purchase of a 175-hectare (432-acre) property from TimberWest on the main stem of the Englishman River, the most important salmon-producing stream on the mid-east coast of Vancouver Island.
• The province donated $60,000 to the Land Conservancy's Conservation Partners Program to promote environmental conservation on agricultural land and support farmers who are preserving habitat for future generations.
• The Integrated Pest Management Act received Royal Assent on October 23, 2003 and replaces the Pesticide Control Act. The new Act shifts the regulatory approval process for pesticide use to a standards-based framework that will make more efficient use of ministry resources.
• The Environmental Management Act received Royal Assent on October 23, 2003, replacing two statutes, the Waste Management Act and the Environment Management Act. The new Act is intended to reduce regulatory burden by enabling a risk-based and results-based approach to environmental management and provides for new regulatory tools, such as market-based incentives, to promote sensitive environmental behaviour.
• The ministry participated in Burrard Clean Operations' major oil spill exercise in Tofino. Held every five years, as part of the Pacific States/BC Oil Spill Task Force, the exercise aims to integrate federal and provincial government staff and industry response personnel into a cohesive team working toward a common response strategy.
• The Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the establishment of a new park reserve and national marine conservation area reserves in B.C. The MOU commits to undertaking a feasibility study for a proposed national marine conservation area reserve in the Strait of Georgia marine area, initiating a feasibility study for a national park reserve in the south Okanagan, and undertaking consultation on an interim management plan for the proposed Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve.

November 2003

• Funding of $152,000 was provided to protect the white sturgeon in the Prince George area. A partnership with the Nechako River White Sturgeon Recovery Initiatives team, which includes government, First Nations, industry and stakeholders, will help protect and restore this ancient species by increasing knowledge and scientific understanding of the fish. This funding will also provide administrative support for team planning.
• The ministry hosted the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME). Ministers agreed on the many benefits of taking collaborative and consistent action to address environmental issues, such as working on a national strategy for the harmonized management of municipal wastewater effluents, dealing with waste from electronic products, and adopting Canada-wide standards for dioxins and furans from combustion of municipal waste.
• The Water, Land, and Air Protection Statutes Amendment Act received Royal Assent on November 20, 2003. The Act amends the Park Act and the Wildlife Act and repeals several outdated statutes as part of the ministry's contribution to the government's deregulation initiative.
• The Flood Hazard Statutes Amendment Act received Royal Assent on November 17, 2003. The Act amends a number of statutes related to diking and construction requirements in flood-prone areas. This legislation will increase local government control over floodplain development and foster improved dike management.

December 2003

• The Parks and Protected Areas Statutes Amendment Act received Royal Assent on December 2, 2003. This Act amends the Park Act and portions of the schedules to the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act. The new Act clarifies responsibility for authorizing resorts and related tourism activities within provincial parks, outlines the rules for directional drilling rigs located outside the boundaries of park and protected areas to access oil and gas resources under those areas, and amends the process for the designation of park categories.

January 2004

• Ducks Unlimited Canada presented a Heritage Gold sponsor award to Minister Barisoff. The award recognizes contributions to the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund in excess of $500,000 to improve wetland habitats across the province.

February 2004

• The ministry signed an agreement with Environment Canada (British Columbia and Yukon Region) to enhance cooperative relationships between the two entities on environmental management issues. The agreement aims to explore improved bilateral arrangements in the areas of air management, water management, species and habitat management and diversity, compliance and enforcement, science and research, and information and knowledge management.

March 2004

• The National Energy Board denied an application by Sumas Energy II to construct a power line in connection with a proposed cogeneration plant located in Washington State. This proposed project was expected to have impacts on air quality in the Abbottsford area.
• The Province of British Columbia, together with the Government of Canada, the Greater Vancouver Regional District and Corporation of Delta, acquired Burns Bog at a purchase price of $73 million for approximately 2,023 hectares (5,000 acres). The purchase means that an area five times the size of Stanley Park will be preserved so that generations to come will be able to enjoy this remarkable natural treasure.
• The Habitat Conservation Trust Fund contributed $900,000 to support 21 wildlife and environmental enhancement projects. Key funding will support the Nature Trust of British Columbia's purchase of the 4,200-hectare (10,378-acre) Hoodoo/Hofert property, which supports a number of endangered and at-risk species. Other projects to receive funding include white sturgeon restoration in the Upper Columbia River, a study of Gerrard Rainbow trout in the Lardeau River and an assessment of mountain goat summer ranges in the East Kootenays.