Part B: Integrated Land Management Bureau

Highlights of the Year

The B.C. government established the Integrated Land Management Bureau in 2005 to provide one-stop access to natural resource authorizations, information and to lead completion of strategic land-use plans in a manner that supports the sustainable economic development of the province's natural resources. The Bureau's first-year achievements included:

Client Services

  • Successfully opened single-point-of-contact FrontCounter BC offices in Kamloops, Surrey, Prince George and Nanaimo, helping natural resource operators to streamline costly, time-consuming regulatory processes that frustrated resource development and growth opportunities. One example of the more streamlined service provided by the new offices involved FrontCounter BC in Kamloops and Terasen Gas Ltd., which proposed a pipeline upgrade from Jasper to Burnaby. Instead of the utility company having to seek numerous permits from a number of different agencies in several locations as in the past, the company dealt only with FrontCounter BC. The office was instrumental in coordinating such permits as licences to cut (to clear trees for power lines), highway access permits, Crown grants, and referrals to First Nations done as one single project and not one per agency as is usually the case.
  • Two new Independent Power Projects were approved during 2005/06, including one at Cypress Creek on Vancouver Island and one at Whitewater Creek in the Kamloops area. Thirty-seven more power projects are currently under active review. Also, 31 new investigative use permits and 18 new monitoring tower licences were issued in support of proving out wind resources for potential wind driven IPP projects.1 These projects support the province's energy policy and BC Hydro's search for new sources of energy to fuel B.C.'s energy needs.
  • Supported one of the cornerstones of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games by assisting the Ministry of Transportation in its negotiation with the Squamish and Lil'wat First Nations to accommodate for the upgrade and expansion of the Sea-to-Sky Highway. The Bureau also issued a Licence of Occupation for the Olympic Whistler Nordic Venue in the Callaghan Valley.
  • During 2005/06, the Bureau issued 2,626 tenures2 under the Land Act thereby providing access to Crown land for a myriad of uses including commercial, recreational and industrial activities that strengthen the provincial economy, while respecting environmental and social values. Included in this total were 13 tenures3 issued for independent power projects.
1  An additional seven investigative use permits and four monitoring tower licences were replaced to allow further documenting of the wind resources at these sites.
2  This figure includes 1,056 new tenures, 1,446 replacement tenures, 42 pre-renewals and 82 pre-tenures. It does not include those oil and gas tenures issued on the Bureau's behalf by the Oil and Gas Commission.
3  Includes three new tenures and 10 replacement tenures.

Resource Information

  • Opened the new Base Map Online Store to replace LandData BC and provide 24/7 access to base map information to the public, industry and government. Base map information access is now easier and more intuitive and includes access to 2005/06 mapping accomplishments (aerial photography, orthophotos and updated base maps (TRIM) for the Ministry of Forests and Range as well as four other projects for industry and government).
  • Expanded web-based services to better meet client needs. The Integrated Land and Resource Registry (ILRR) system went "live", providing users in government, industry and the general public (limited access) with up-to-date information on legal rights and interests on the land base in B.C. This web-based, integrated registry replaced the need to search multiple registries across government to access information. As a result, finding who has rights and interests for what purpose over any parcel of land can be completed in minutes instead of days or weeks.
  • Completed Phase II of the regional land and resource data transition, migrating 1,500 priority datasets to a spatial database environment and making them available to decision-makers and analysts using GIS and e-service applications. Also completed Phase II of the transition of corporate land and resource data — 41 data-sets have been integrated and loaded to the Land and Resource Data Warehouse and made accessible. Both projects have improved the quality and accessibility to data that is vital for the day-to-day operations and planning activities of the natural resource sector.
  • Expanded the range of warehouse data information accessible to natural resource clients, including approximately 800 new data views for use by decision-support clients and web management applications.
  • Loaded the Digital Road Atlas Partially Attributed Roads dataset for viewing through iMapBC and downloaded to authorized partners through the Distribution Service.
  • Improved information delivery by developing training materials on Land and Resource Data Warehouse access tools for natural resource sector clients and providing training to more than 600 staff from the Bureau, Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Forests and Range.
  • Delivered the new, real-time geo-spatial reference system with and for the Greater Vancouver Regional District, enabling GVRD users to instantaneously and accurately use GPS for locating various utilities, municipal public works and other infrastructure.

Land-use Planning

  • The B.C. government announced land-use decisions in February 2006 as a result of agreements with First Nations, industry, environmentalists, local governments and other stakeholders in the Central Coast and North Coast LRMPs. The land-use decisions cover about 6.4 million hectares and work to balance the needs of the environment with the need for sustainable jobs and a strong economic future for coastal communities. Projects to implement these decisions have begun.
  • Continued progress on four other LRMPs. Morice LRMP recommendations provided to government by stakeholders are now in the final stages of government-to-government negotiations with First Nations. Government-to-government negotiations on the Sea-to-Sky LRMP are advancing, including completion of a protocol for G2G with Squamish Nation and principles for G2G with Lil'wat Nation, and completion of a partnership agreement with Tsleil Watuth Nation. Terms of Reference for completion of Haida Gwaii/Queen Charlotte Islands LRMP are under negotiation with the Haida Nation; a final Community Planning Forum Recommendations Report has been released, and a community viability process directed by Islands-elected officials initiated. Some progress has been made trying to resolve G2G issues with the St'at'imc Nation re: completion of the Lillooet LRMP.
  • Reviewed three northern LRMPs and regional land-use plans in light of the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation to secure future economic development opportunities, encourage public awareness and support the timber salvage program.
  • Completed 51 lower-level type plans across the province, which include sustainable resource management plans (SRMPs), watershed plans, oil and gas pre-tenure plans and recreation conflict management plans; all of which support economic development, sustain environmental values, and/or address resource-use conflicts, challenges and opportunities.

Incorporation of First Nations Interests Into Land-use Plans

  • Furthered development of government's New Relationship with First Nations by working with First Nations on the completion phase of six Land and Resource Management Plans and on consultations for 23 Sustainable Resource Management Plans.
  • Enhanced the participation of First Nations in the provincial economy through development and implementation of LRMPs, SRMPs and recovery plans for broad-ranging species-at-risk.
  • The Central Coast and North Coast Land-Use Decision exemplifies how the New Relationship with First Nations, based on mutual respect and the principles of recognition and reconciliation, is advancing. Twenty-five First Nations were consulted during the historic planning process and, in early 2006, government to government land-use agreements were signed with the Turning Point and KNT First Nations. It is expected that, in total, 18 First Nations represented in the LRMP process will sign land-use agreements with the province.

Species-at-Risk

  • Established the Species-at-Risk Coordination Office, which coordinates recovery planning and management of B.C.'s complement of globally significant, broad-ranging species-at-risk.
  • Following consultation with government agencies, First Nations, industry, stakeholders and the public, the Bureau brought Northern Spotted Owl recovery options forward to government to address population declines and provide resource-use certainty.
  • Continued recovery planning for Mountain Caribou and consulted with First Nations on Mountain Caribou recovery options.
  • Worked cooperatively with the Ministries of Environment, and Forests and Range in developing a Species-at-Risk Framework which will facilitate the prioritizing and coordinating of the management of species-at-risk and the ecosystems on which they depend.
  • Continued participation in the Species-at-Risk Coordinating Committee as per the bilateral agreement with the government of Canada.
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