Presentation Notes

1. Presentation Notes • This slide presentation is based on a comprehensive timeline covering the 100 year history of the BC Forest Service and the years preceding • It is expected that presenters will want to eliminate, combine or add information based on the audience they are presenting to and the time available • Thank you for helping to spread the message about the proud past of the BC Forest Service The BC Forest Service Centenary Society February 2012

2. Change Masters The Evolution of the BC Forest Service

3. Before the Beginning • First Nations • Traditional uses of the forests and rangelands • Early Explorers • 1778 Captain Cook cuts ships spars • 1788 Captain Meares exports spars to China

4. Before the Beginning • Early Settlers • 1848 First sawmill near Victoria • 1853 First regulations regarding cutting and milling • 1865 First timber lease issued • Early Development and Expansion • 1871 BC enters into confederation • 1874 Bush Fire Act introduced • 1884 Timber Act introduced • 1888 First Provincial Timber Inspector

5. Before the Beginning • 1888 Amendments to Land Act • Public ownership of forest lands • Timber resources to be used to build home industry • Major revenue to be collected when timber cut • 1890 Timber Mark Act • 1897 Inquiry into Crown timber disposition • 1905 Province opens up licences to cut • 1906 Timber Manufacturing Act

6. Before the Beginning • 1909 Fulton Royal Commission established • 1910 Commission recommended: • Complete timber cruise of all crown forests • Reserve on non-alienated timber land • Protection of forests from fire • Regulations to end waste, reduce fire risk and promote regeneration • Establish a Department of Forests • 1911 Martin Grainger drafts 1st Forest Act

7. The Birth of the BCFS • February 27, 1912 – Forest Act proclaimed • Legislation addressed: • Trespass • Timber Tenures • Scaling • Charges • Timber Marking • Manufacturing • Forest Protection

8. The Birth of the BCFS • 1912 Department of Lands - BC Forest Branch created under Forest Act • H.R. MacMillan hired as Chief Forester • Inventory begins • Forest Reserves created • Fire fighting forces expanded • Fire detection lookouts delveloped

9. The Beginning of the BCFS • Headquarters – Chief Forester • Timber Management – Assistant Forester • 18 Scalers • 27 Forest Assistants and Cruisers • Records – Assistant Forester • 43 Clerks and Stenographers • Operations – Assistant Forester • 11 Forest Districts – District Forester • 33 Ranger Districts – Forest Ranger • Fire Wardens • 159 Forest Guards

10. The Years 1915-17 • 1915 H.R. MacMillan appointed as Special Trade Commissioner by Federal Government • To investigate world lumber markets • 1916 World War I • Many Forest Branch staff enlisted served overseas • War saw staffing levels drop by 40% by 1918 • 1917 Sitka Spruce for airplanes • In support of Imperial Munitions Board, BC Government commandeers wood suitable for airplane construction

11. The Years 1918-21 • 1918 • Aircraft first used for fire detection • Gasoline fire pumps introduced • 1919 • Competitive exams for Ranger selection • Grazing administration added to Forest Branch • 1920 • Marconi develops radio system • 1921 • Instructions for Field Surveys Guide written

12. The Years 1922-25 • 1923 Research began in Forest Branch • 1924 Aleza Lake Experimental Station opened • 1925 Aerial photography used for Inventory • 1925 Forest Reserve Fund • Development and protection of forest reserves • Planting of denuded areas • Maintaining growth of continuous crops of timber

13. The Years 1927-37 • 1927 Research Division created • 1927 Shelbourne Street Experimental Nursery in Victoria near North Dairy Street • 1929 Cowichan Lake Experimental Station • 1930 Green Timbers • 1932 Reference Library created • 1935 Young Men's Forestry Training Plan • 1937 Mulholland Report on Forest Inventory • First use of Hollerith punch-card computer system

14. The Years 1939-45 • 1939 Provincial Parks joins Forest Branch • Quinsam  Nursery established to supply trees  for the rehab of Bloedel Fire • 1940 Radiophones • 1941 - 1944 WWII curtails many activities • 1943 Sloan Royal Commission established • 1945 Forest Branch becomes Forest Service under a new Department of Lands and Forests

15. 1945 Sloan Royal Commission • Recommendations: • Increase fire protection • Increase rate of planting • Regulation of logging methods • Management plans for regional working circles • Funds and facilities for research • A Faculty of Forestry at UBC • Statutory recognition of profession of forestry

16. The Years 1946-51 • 1946 Forest Service Training School opens • 1947 British Columbia Foresters Act • 1948 First interior nursery established at Elko • 1948 Forest Development Fund for building and financing of forest roads • 1948 Farm Woodlot Licence • 1950 First interior plantation • 1951 Radiograms became means of communication

17. The Years 1955-57 • 1955 Use of helicopters starts • 1955 Second Sloan Royal Commission • 1957 Report noted the rapid growth in the sector over the previous decade and identified the importance of a competitive forest industry to be successful in the international marketplace • 1957 First forest inventory completed - 7-pound volume of data was referred to as the "door-stop" • 1957 Parks and Recreation Division transferred to the newly-created Parks Branch

18. The Years 1958-1960 • 1958 Stronger provisions to control insect infestations • 1958 Deputy Minister/Chief Forester position separated • 1958 First use of air tankers for fire fighting • 1960 Pulpwood Harvesting Area Agreements • 1960 Nurseries expanded to include Red Rock, Chilliwack, Campbell River

19. The Years 1962-1970 • 1962 Dept. of Lands, Forest and Water Resources created • 1966 Implementation of close utilization policy • 1966 Vancouver Forest District began using an IBM 1440 computer to compile provincial scaling returns and billing • 1970 Land Use Committee established • 1970 British Columbia Professional Foresters Act enabled R.P.F. designation • 1970 Committee established for uniform methods of forest land classification

20. The Years 1971-75 • 1971 Recreation Forester appointed to co-ordinate forest recreational uses within the multiple use concept • 1974 Task Force on Crown Timber Disposal • 1975 Pearse Royal Commission of Forest Resources • Protection of public interest in the legislation, policy, procedures and practices • Contribution of forest resources to the economic and social welfare of British Columbians

21. 1976 Pearse Royal Commission • Recommendations: • No change in the policy of Crown ownership • Formalization of chart areas • Power to suspend cutting permits • Major licensees responsible for fire planning and stand-by crews • 10-year grazing licenses with renewal opportunities • Ability to reduce the AAC by not more that 10% upon any five-year renewal

22. 1976 Pearce Royal Commission…continued • Recommendations: • Timber licensee contracts should enable the ability to regulate other users • Development of a harvest optimization model for establishing harvesting limits • Creation of a forest planning regime • Creation of an interagency consultation planning process • Creation of process for engaging the public in forest planning • A review of the Forest Service’s administrative and organization structure • Decentralization of decision-making authority

23. 1976 • Forest Policy Advisory Committee appointed • New Systems Services Branch established • First computer terminal arrives at Cariboo District Office

24. 1978 Forest Act • Allowable cut increases for intensive forest management activities • AAC decisions include social and economic as well as biological factors • Portion of the allowable cut to be set aside for small business enterprises • Reaffirms policy of multiple land use • Provides new appeal provisions • Provides for the designation of recreation sites and trails • Grants Ministry authority for coordinated management of all forest resources • Provides for consultation with other ministries and agencies • Provides for public hearings in certain situations • Decentralizes decision making

25. 1978 Range Act • Grants Ministry full authority for the coordinated management of all range resources • Promotes multiple use management of rangelands to realize their full potential for forage production and other values

26. 1978 Ministry of Forests Act • Outlines objectives, purposes and functions: • Encourage the attainment of maximum productivity • Manage for immediate and long term economic and social benefits • Plan the use of the forest and range resources so that other natural resource values are coordinated and integrated • Encourage a vigorous, efficient and world-competitive industry • Assert the financial interest in a systematic and equitable manner • Commits the Ministry to a 5-year forest and range programs as well as a thorough analysis of the province’s forest and range resources every 10 years • Specifies establishment of a Forest Research Council

27. 1980 Reorganization • 1980 Forest Service reorganized from Forest Districts and Ranger Districts to Forest Regions and Forest Districts • Deputy Minister • Divisons – Assist. Deputy Ministers, Chief Forester • Headquarter Branches - Directors • Forest Regions – Regional Manager • Forest Districts – District Manager

28. 1980’s Technology Boom • Protection implemented real-time electronic Lightning Location System. • Automated weather stations were located across the province and could send their findings via radio or telephone to a central database • Most branches and regions, but not districts, had access to IBM 3270 terminals and printers to interact with BCSC mainframe systems, and Wang equipment • Victoria based branches got access to Wang based email and office tools by the early 80’s • By 1987 the radio stats were 2,000 mobiles, 3,000 portables, 300 base stations, and 212 repeaters in service

29. The Years 1987-88 • 1987 Designation and management of wilderness areas, as recommended by the Wilderness Advisory Committee • 1988 Forest Amendment Act enabled increases in volume for competitive timber sales from 7 to 15% of provincial AAC. Goal was to make Small Business Forest Enterprise Program a self-financing, profitable program

30. 1989 Forest Resources Commission • Government established the Forest Resources Commission, chaired by A.L. (Sandy) Peel, had the following mandated tasks: • To provide the Minister of Forests with a comprehensive view of what the forests of BC should represent, taking into account the full range of forest values • To inform the Minister on the effectiveness of Tree Farm Licences as a form of tenure • To recommend ways to improve public participation in forest planning and management • To review and recommend ways of improving forest harvesting practices

31. 1991 Report of Forest Resources Commission • Recommendations: • The introduction of comprehensive land use planning with full public engagement • The creation of a new agency responsible for the land use planning process • Movement to more area-based tenures to enable improved resource stewardship • Complete inventories for all renewable forest resource values • A single all-encompassing code of forest practice be established

32. Early 1990’s • PROFS, the electronic mail service was available to nearly 80% of ministry staff. • Email had become embedded into the ministry‘s way of doing business • Total growth from 1987 to 1991, just in Region and Districts, was almost 2,000 workstations • First Windows PCs (Windows 3.1) came into the ministry and introduced Microsoft Office

33. 1992 • Forest Amendment Act required new AAC determinations for all TSAs and TFLs by 1995 • Timber Supply Review initiated • Commissioner on Resources and Environment Act moved responsibility for integrated planning from the Forest Service to an independent commission.

34. Commissioner on Resources and Environment • Develop a strategy for land use and related resource and environmental management • Facilitate the development and implementation of regional planning processes to establish: • land use allocations • community-based participatory processes • a dispute resolution system • effective and integrated management of the resources and environment of the province

35. 1994 • 1994 – BC Forest Renewal Act dedicated revenue from increased stumpage to Forest Renewal BC

36. 1994 Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act • Comprehensive code of practice • Hierarchical pre-harvest operational planning system • Increased public participation • Clear legal foundation with explicit penalties for non-compliance • Made forest operators responsible for damage • Established administrative penalties to deal with non-compliance • Required Forest Development Plans have joint approval by Ministry of Forests and the Ministry of Environment

37. 1994 Forest Practices Board • Created with broad powers to: • investigate public complaints • to oversee a forest audit process • to bring appeals of forest management decisions through the appeal process on behalf of the public • to report to the public on the administration of the code

38. The Years 1996-2000 • 1996 Ministry starts up its world wide web site • 1997 Publishing of electronic documents and forms underway • Dozens of computer applications had to be re-written before January 1, 2000 to get them ready for Y2K • 2000 Ministry operated the largest government radio system in Canada. It included more than: • 320 mountain top repeaters • 500 base stations • 7000 pieces of wireless and radio communications equipment

39. 2000 – Protected Areas of British Columbia Act • Created 29 new Class A parks and six new ecological reserves • Made additions to 13 existing Schedule A, Class A parks • Consolidated all parks and ecological reserves in a single statute • BC became the first Canadian jurisdiction to put more than 12% of its land base in parks, protected areas, recreation areas and ecological reserves.

40. 2002 • Budget Measures Implementation Act repealed Forest Renewal Act so that revenue that formerly flowed directly to FRBC now flowed into general revenue • Discussion paper proposing a results-based Forest Practices Code released for comment • Forest Renewal BC terminated and replaced with the Forest Investment Account • The federal government announced a $246-million softwood lumber aid package that included a five-year, $40-million investment to assist BC with the mountain pine beetle epidemic • Inventory function transferred to the new Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management

41. 2002 Forest and Range Practices Act • Reduced the number of operational plans from 3 to 1 • Defined 11 forest values to be protected • Required FSPs to define measurable, verifiable results or strategies to achieve objectives • Contained new powers of intervention to prevent environmental damage • Moved many previous Code provisions into the non-legal realm and relied on the judgment of resource professionals to achieve the required results/outcomes

42. The Years 2002-03 • 2002 College of Applied Biology Act established applied biology as a self-regulating profession • 2003 – Forest Statutes Amendment Act • Converted small business forest enterprise program to the B.C. Timber Sales program • Enabled timber sale managers to issue timber sale licences and associated permits and suspend or cancel timber sales agreements or associated road permits • Ensured that revenues collected from the timber sales program flow into the timber sale account

43. 2003 Defined Forest Area Management • Amended the Forest Act to deliver a new model of forest management where specified licensees and B.C. Timber Sales will assume a collective responsibility for timber supply analysis and specified forest health activities within their timber supply areas

44. 2003 The Forestry Revitalization Plan • Enabled a “take back” of 20 percent of the timber volume from renewable tenures • Reallocate 50% of the take back to new entrants, including first nations, woodlots and community forests • Other 50% to be reallocated to BC timber sales for competitive sales • Established a $2 Million fund to compensate companies whose harvesting rights were impacted • Established a $75 million fund to mitigate the effects on forest workers

45. 2003 Forestry Innovation Investment • Incorporated as a provincial Crown corporation with a goal to develop and diversify markets for B.C. wood products around the world

46. 2003 • The McLure fire burned 26 420 hectares, forcing the evacuation of 3800 residents and destroying 81 buildings, July through September. • The Okanagan Mountain Park fire burned 25 000 hectares south and east of Kelowna, forcing the evacuation of more than 27 000 people and destroying 239 homes, August and September. • The mountain pine beetle epidemic increased to cover 4.2 million hectares, double the area in 2002.

47. 2003 – Forest (Revitalization) Amendment Act • Removed minimum cut control requirements • Repealed appurtenancy and timber-processing requirements that forced licensees to process timber at specific sawmills • Repealed and replaced the requirement that licensees must have written consent from the Minister of Forests before tenures can be subdivided or transferred

48. 2003 – Foresters Act • Strengthened professional accountability provisions • Redefined practice of professional forestry • Transferred forest technologists into the association

49. 2004 – Wildfire Act • Consolidated existing provisions from other statutes • Outlined responsibilities of all forest users • Prescribed circumstances where open fires permitted • Maintained government’s right to carry out fire control operations to protect public safety and to act in the public interest • Addressed fire preparedness, fire hazard assessment and abatement issues • Provided the authority: • to order people to leave specified areas • to hire temporary employees for fire control operations • to requisition facilities, equipment and personnel

50. 2004 • Forest and Range Practices Act beginning the transition to a results-based forest practices code • The Firestorm 2003 Provincial Review report was submitted to the provincial cabinet • A market-based timber pricing system to set stumpage prices for coastal operations was implemented • Mountain pine beetle action plan updated and a two-year Bark Beetle Task Force created to oversee its implementation