Annual Report Appendices

Appendix A: Ministry of Environment Glossary of Terms

airshed: geographical areas in which air quality is a function of the same sources, weather and topography.

ambient air or water quality: the overall or general condition of air or water in a region outside the zone of influence of discharges — in contrast to local condition, which may be related to a specific source of contamination.

baseline: an actual result or a composite of an organization's past performance in a particular area that can be used to set future targets, or for comparison to other organizations. A baseline provides a starting point against which future progress can be assessed.

B.C. water quality guidelines: guidelines developed in B.C. that provide benchmarks for the assessment of water quality. If a substance concentration is lower than the concentration indicated in the guideline, generally speaking, a water quality problem for that particular substance is non-existent; however, if the substance concentration exceeds its guideline, an assessment of the water quality is warranted.

benchmarking: a process of continuously comparing and measuring an organization or aspects of an organization against sector/industry leaders, with the objective of gaining information that will help the organization take actions and make changes to improve its performance.

brownfield: an idle or underused property where past activities have caused environmental contamination but which exhibit good potential for other uses and provide economically viable business opportunities.

coal bed gas: natural gas found in underground coal deposits. The gas is contained within the coal seam where it is absorbed or attached to the coal particles. During production, water is pumped out of the coal seams lowering the pressure thus releasing the gas to be collected and sent to market.

ecosystem: organisms of a natural community, together with their physical, chemical and biological environment.

Fisheries Sensitive Watershed (FSW): a designation under the Forest and Range Practices Act. To qualify as an FSW candidate, watersheds must meet two criteria: significant fisheries values and watershed sensitivity. More information can be found at http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/fsw/.

greenhouse gases: gases that play a part in the greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide (CO₂, the most significant greenhouse gas), methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, water vapour, CFCs and other trace gases.

industry-led product stewardship: places the responsibility for end-of-life product management on those who produce, distribute, sell or use products or containers listed under the B.C. Recycling Regulation.

low level ozone: Also called ground level ozone. A bluish gas with a pungent odour. At ground level, ozone is formed by chemical reactions between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) in the presence of sunlight. VOCs and NO₂are released by burning coal, gasoline and other fuels, and naturally released by plants and trees.

mountain pine beetle: the mountain pine beetle epidemic in B.C. is the largest forest insect infestation in Canada's history. The beetle prefers mature timber and is affecting lodge pole pines of 80 years or more.

nitrate: an essential plant nutrient found in fertilizers and which may be produced during the breakdown of organic wastes. Excessive fertilizer application, improper agricultural waste management or underground septic tanks may increase nitrate levels in groundwater. Nitrates reduce the ability of blood to carry oxygen. Infants under six months are particularly at risk from drinking well-water containing excessive nitrates.

particulate matter (PM): fine liquid or solid particles (such as dust, smoke, mist fumes or smog) found in the air or emissions. Also known as particulates.

pollution prevention hierarchy: as follows in descending order of priority: reduce the environmental impact of producing the product by eliminating toxic components and increasing energy and resource efficiency; redesign the product to improve reusability or recyclability; eliminate or reduce the generation of unused portions of a product that is consumable; reuse the product; recycle the product; recover material or energy from the product; otherwise dispose of the waste from the product in compliance with the Environmental Management Act. 

PM_2.5: measure of particulate matter under 2.5 microns. Recent studies have shown that particles of 2.5 microns or less (PM_2.5) pose the greatest health risk. A particle of 2.5 microns is about 1/20th the width of a human hair.

protected areas: refers to parks, recreation areas, ecological reserves and designations under legislation for which the Ministry of Environment is responsible. They include:

species at risk: species at risk means endangered, extirpated or threatened.

stewardship: stewardship refers to the concept of responsibly managing natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations and encouraging the active participation of persons or groups, including citizens, communities, government and industry.

Ungulate Winter Range (UWR): an area that contains habitat that is necessary to meet the winter habitat requirements of an ungulate species. UWRs are based on our current understanding of ungulate habitat requirements in winter, as interpreted by the Ministry of Environment regional staff from current scientific and management literature, local knowledge, and other expertise from the region. For more information, please visit http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/uwr/index.html.

watershed: an entire area that is drained by a waterway or that drains into a lake or reservoir. Also referred to as a water basin.

Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHAs): mapped areas of Crown land containing critical habitat, such as breeding, feeding and denning habitat, crucial to identified wildlife. WHAs help protect species and plant communities at risk by specifying mandatory practices called general wildlife measures.

Appendix B: Comparison between Previous and Revised Ministry of Environment Vision, Mission and Values

The left-hand column of table below shows the ministry's vision, mission and values as they were presented in the September 2005/06 – 2007/08 Service Plan Update. The right-hand column presents our new vision, mission and values as they appear in the February 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan. Our new vision, mission and values build on the strong foundation of the old and continue to inform our approach and the work that we do.

Appendix C: Ministry of Environment Office Locations

Appendix D: List of Legislation Administered by the Ministry of Environment

The following legislation, in alphabetical order, is currently administered by the Ministry of Environment:²¹

21	Citations for all Acts and regulations are to the most recent or original versions. Readers are strongly advised to confirm the currency of legislation with appropriate legal research before relying upon these citations as they are frequently amended and are subject to change without notice.

Appendix E: Discontinued Ministry of Environment Performance Measures

Below is a list of the performance measures that appeared in the September 2005/06 – 2007/08 Service Plan Update, but were discontinued in the February 2006/07 – 2008/09 Service Plan. The rationale for not continuing a performance measure is included. Some measures continue to be tracked.

Appendix F: Notes on Ministry of Environment Performance Measures and Supplemental Information

Performance measurement is the process of assessing progress toward achievement of pre-determined goals and objectives. Performance measures are the yardsticks we use for assessing our progress toward the achievement of these goals and objectives.

Outcome measures²² are the most important type of measure as they are an indicator of the impact, consequence or change that resulted from a program or activity. Two key limitations of outcome measures are (1) many factors other than a specific program or activity can affect them; and (2) it can take a long period of time before an outcome can be realized. In most cases, the ministry's service plans have established output or process measures.²³ These measures identify how the program or activity is doing based on pre-established targets. The ministry also utilizes quality measures.²⁴ In the future, the ministry will attempt to incorporate outcome measures into its performance management framework, where possible, as they remain a key indicator of the effectiveness of a program.

In developing its performance framework, the ministry focuses on those few, critical aspects of performance²⁵ that relate to the organization's goals and objectives and for which it has a particular responsibility or major influence over. Potential measures are assessed in relation to whether they are a meaningful indicator of the goal or objective, data sources are accurate and reliable, and there is methodological consistency in comparative measures.

The ministry's twelve performance measures are:

Performance measure targets are established by collecting current baseline data, assessing leading edge practices in other jurisdictions, reviewing and analyzing scientific data, determining what level of performance the ministry wishes to achieve over the coming year(s), and setting targets to measure progress.

The following provides supplemental information to the performance measures reported on in this Annual Service Plan Report.

22	An "outcome" measure measures the intended impact, consequence or change resulting from a program or activity.
23	An "output" measure measures the level of service or what has been produced by an activity.
24	A "quality" measure measures the quality of service or output.
25	Office of the Auditor General of British Columbia. Reporting Principle 3 from Building Better Reports: Our Methodology for Assessing the Annual Service Plan Reports of Government. July 2005.
26	*Performance measures 5, 8, 11 and 12 are new measures established in the February 2006/07 - 2008/09 Service Plan and will be reported on in next year's Annual Service Plan Report.

Trends in environmentally significant variables indicating the health of 30 water bodies monitored under a federal/provincial agreement

The water bodies selected for monitoring are identified in a three-year business plan agreed to by the ministry and Environment Canada. They are selected based on the following criteria:

Data are collected bi-weekly, or in some cases monthly, from each water body by trained samplers using established protocols. Once the samples have been collected, they are sent for analysis to laboratories that have been accredited by the Canadian Association of Environmental Laboratories (CAEL).

There are a wide variety of chemical, physical and biological indicators of water quality that are measured, including: major ions, dissolved solids, conductivity, trace elements, algae, zooplankton, nutrients, nitrate, pH levels, acidity, alkalinity, non-filterable residue and turbidity, colour, fecal coliforms, cyanide, adsorbable organic halides (AOX), temperature, total dissolved gases, dissolved oxygen, and flow. The trends in the above-monitored indicators are based on data collected regularly and consistently over periods of five to ten years or more. Data are reviewed annually for each of the 30 water bodies to assess whether there has been a significant variance from the trend. Each water body is subjected to a detailed statistical analysis approximately every five years (i.e., statistical analysis is conducted for five or six water bodies per year) as this is the timeframe in which it is expected that a change in the trend would become noticeable.

Percentage of monitored communities achieving the Canada-wide standard (CWS) quality objective for PM_2.5and low level ozone

The ministry collects PM_2.5from approximately 80 air quality monitoring sites from over 45 communities, and ozone data from approximately 30 sites from over 25 communities across the province. The monitors are placed in communities that are more densely populated or where air quality may be an issue. The monitors are audited twice a year by the ministry following U.S. Environmental Protection Agency protocols for auditing and record-keeping standards. Each community's data are analyzed using SAS statistical software, and the end result for each community is checked against air quality results reported by other agencies (e.g., Environment Canada).

Per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions relative to other provinces

GHG emission data are collected by Environment Canada and per capita population statistics are derived from population statistics from Statistics Canada. The ministry relies on the quality of these data sources and the methodologies used by ministry technical experts and contractors for the analysis of the data.

Data on per capita GHG emissions are not available until two years later (e.g., 2005 data are available in 2007). The per capita emissions figures are calculated by dividing the total B.C. greenhouse gas emissions figures by the total B.C. population figures. For more information, please see http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/soerpt/.

Number of completed designations by the Ministry of Environment under the Forest and Range Practices Act, including Wildlife Habitat Areas, Ungulate Winter Ranges, and Fisheries Sensitive Watersheds

Designations under the Forest and Range Practices Act(FRPA) provide special management for species impacted by forest and range activities on Crown land. These designations provide legislated protection for habitats and contribute significantly to the conservation of native species. To adequately demonstrate progress, two types of data are being collected: (1) the number of designations and objectives established, and (2) the area of forest land base for which designations and objectives have been established. Performance targets are based on expected levels of funding from the Forest Investment Account and other funding sources related to achieving the performance measure, and are provided only for the number of designations as the size of the areas will depend on the species. The areas for WHAs and UWRs are accurate within ± 5% as amounts may include overlapping areas not covered under the Forest and Range Practices Act such as parks and protected areas and private land.

Number of Collaborative Management Agreements and Regional Fish and Wildlife Advisory Processes with First Nations

The ministry is committed to enhancing our relationships with First Nations and Aboriginal peoples as we work toward developing new models of shared stewardship of our natural resources and activities that conserve ecosystems, species and habitats.

British Columbia and Canada have a history of legislation that affects our relationship with Aboriginal peoples and land. This legislative history began in 1763 with the Royal Proclamation issued by King George III. The Royal Proclamation, which was focused on lands in eastern Canada, acknowledges that Aboriginal people continue to possess traditional territories until they are "ceded to or purchased by" the Crown. The Royal Proclamation is still referenced in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

This performance measure consists of the number of agreements with First Nations and includes Collaborative Management Agreements and Regional Fish and Wildlife Advisory Processes. Collaborative Management Agreements define how the province and First Nations will work together on the management of protected areas. Regional Fish and Wildlife Advisory Processes provide a region-wide perspective and actively engage First Nations, tenure holders and stakeholders with a direct interest in fish and wildlife management.

Number of product categories with industry-led product stewardship programs

This measure outlines the number of product categories covered by the B.C. Recycling Regulation under the Environmental Management Act. For more information, please refer to http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/epdpa/ips/index.html.

Number of recorded park visits and visitor satisfaction rate

There are three components to park visitation data: camper-nights, day-use visits (which account for almost 90% of all visits) and visits to marine parks. Traffic counters, infra-red counters and visual counts are used throughout the province to collect data regarding the number of parties visiting parks. The number of parties recorded for each visitation component is then multiplied by a factor that estimates the average number of people per party to give the total number of recorded visits. The factors are 3.2 for camping parties and boating parties, and 3.5 for day-use parties.

This is a measure of total recorded visits, not total visits, as there are parks where visitation data are not collected. Total recorded visits are not a good indicator of trends in overall visitation from year to year because they are affected by when and where data are collected, which has not been consistent over time. To address this, the ministry is developing a new methodology for deriving trend data from a subset of core parks within the protected area system. Data will be collected consistently each year from this subset of parks in order to identify changes in park attendance trends overall. Additionally, the ministry has initiated a review of the existing park attendance system with the goal of having a new attendance system in place by 2006.

Approximately 5,000 campground park visitors are surveyed each year, usually between May 15 and just after the Labour Day long-weekend in the first week of September. The survey is sent to each park for distribution by park operators with provisions made for random sampling of subjects. A Visitor Satisfaction Index is derived from the survey responses. This is an overall rating, averaged for the province, that campers and park visitors provide for five categories: cleanliness of restrooms, cleanliness of grounds, condition of facilities, sense of security, and control of noise. Responses of "excellent" and "above average" are considered to indicate satisfaction.

The survey data are entered into a statistical database program, which is used to perform all statistical calculations (the software product used is designed to help manage complex surveys). There may be subsequent follow-up sampling to confirm that the surveys were completed by legitimate park visitors.

Number of basic hunting and angling licences sold

The number of basic licences sold reflects the number of people participating in hunting and angling activities as a basic licence must be purchased before a person can hunt or fish or purchase a supplementary species licence. Data for this measure are obtained from the Government Agents Branch of the Ministry of Labour and Citizens' Services and the Ministry of Environment. The Government Agents Branch is responsible for the management of Angling and Hunting Licence Vendor Operations and the sale of most but not all basic and supplementary licences throughout the province. The Ministry of Environment also sells a number of licences. Data are collected monthly and are reported by residency category and type of licence. Data are auditable as the number of licences sold must reconcile with revenues collected for sale of the licences.

Appendix G: Example of Linkages between Ministry of Environment Goal, Objectives, Strategies, Performance Measures and Core Business Areas

Responsibility – the Core Business Area primarily responsible for the strategy.
Core Business Areas: ES — Environmental Stewardship; WS — Water Stewardship; OMF — Oceans and Marine Fisheries; EP — Environmental Protection

Appendix H (EAO): Certified Projects from April 1, 2005 – March 31, 2006

The table below details the four projects that were issued an Environmental Assessment Certificate by the Minister during the fiscal year 2005/06.

Appendix I (EAO): Projects in the Review Process from
April 1, 2005 – March 31, 2006

The table below outlines the 17 projects under review in the 180-day period during the fiscal year 2005/06.

Appendix J (EAO): Projects in the Pre-Application Stage from
April 1, 2005 – March 31, 2006

The table below outlines the 29 projects involved in pre-application during the fiscal year 2005/06.

Appendix K (EAO): Amendments to Projects from
April 1, 2005 – March 31, 2006

The table below outlines the three amendments that were made to the Environmental Assessment Certificates during the fiscal year 2005/06.

Appendix L: Environmental Assessment Office Discontinued Performance Measures

The Environmental Assessment Office removed the following performance measures to integrate its reporting with the Ministry of Environment Service Plan.

Measure 1

Measure 2

Measure 3

Measure 4

Measure 5