FRPA Announcements

Page Contents

• FRPA Online Sessions Schedule Available - February 20th, 2004
• FRPA Update #10 - February 2nd, 2004
• FRPA Update #9 - January 19th, 2004
• FRPA Update #8 - November 28th, 2003
• FRPA Update #7 - November 07, 2003
• FRPA Update #6 - October 30, 2003
• FRPA Update #5 - October 20, 2003
• FRPA Update #4 - October 8, 2003
• FRPA Update #3 - October 1, 2003
• FRPA Update #2 - September 22, 2003
• FRPA Update #1 - September 15, 2003
• Update on FRPA Activities - July 17, 2003
• FRPA Timelines Adjusted - June 3, 2003

FRPA Timelines Adjusted - June 3, 2003

Larry Pedersen

When the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) was passed last fall, it was known that the Act would require further changes and additions as it did not contain all of the necessary transition provisions and a number of implementation issues were outstanding at the time. Our original plan was to seek passage of the amendments and then bring the Act into force this spring with the completion of the associated regulations.

By now you are probably aware that Bill 69, containing the amendments to the FRPA was tabled in the house last week. However, due to the very heavy legislative agenda, not all of the bills tabled towards the end of the session could be dealt with. Since the house has now risen, Bill 69 will not be debated or considered for passage until the fall sitting of the legislature which runs from early October to late November.

Since it was not passed this spring as originally hoped, we have had to revise the overall project plan and I am writing to update you on the adjustments that we have made to the implementation timelines.

This new timeline will of course affect the timing of FRPA training. We are developing a comprehensive training program for over 6,000 resource professionals, license holders, cattlemen, and woodlot operators so they can work effectively under the new legislative framework. That training will now begin in January 2004.

While the delay is unfortunate, we can use the additional time to maximum advantage. For example, in addition to the existing internal review processes, we will also be establishing a Minister's (practices) advisory council (PAC) to provide an opportunity for broad parties of interest to provide advice to the Minister on the development of the regulations. The Council is expected to be formed in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, a lot of work is going into the development of draft regulations that are consistent with, and reflect, the intent of the FRPA and the Bill 69 amendments. These draft products will be reviewed by the Council over the summer months and in the fall we expect much interaction with PAC before the regulations are finalized. The new timelines and process steps should lead to the Act being brought into force immediately following the passage of Bill 69.

Thank you for your patience as we work to complete the development phase of this important new initiative. If you have any questions, please contact either myself or Ralph Archibald at Forest Practices Branch.

Larry P. Pedersen, R.P.F.
ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER
CHIEF FORESTER

Update on FRPA Activities - July 17, 2003

Larry Pedersen

As a follow-up to my June 3rd e-mail on the Forest and Range Practices Act, I would like to update you on our progress.

In early July, the drafting team completed a draft of the regulations required to support FRPA. These draft regulations are now undergoing review by a number of groups including: the Minister's new (Practices) Advisory Council and other stakeholders, the MOF Legislation Policy Committee, interagency implementation teams, MOF Business Mapping Team, and various policy specialists in MOF, WLAP, and MSRM.

The Minister's (Practices) Advisory Council is reviewing the draft regulations over the summer and will provide advice to the Minister by the end of September. I am currently chairing this Council and very much looking forward to the important contribution that I know it will make in evaluating forest practices policy and providing timely, quality advice to the Minister.

Over the last few months, the interagency Provincial Implementation Team facilitated three Forest Stewardship Plan pilots. The results of the pilots will be synthesized provincially to assist in managing the consistent implementation of FRPA across the province. The I-Team is developing a number of tools to assist in implementation. Details of these tools will be outlined in subsequent communications material.

I anticipate that the FRPA will be brought into force by the new regulations late this year. Training will follow in January and February of 2004.

Information on the FRPA implementation plan will be coming out regularly from Tim Sheldan in the next weeks and months.

In the interim, you can find more background on the FRPA website http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/code/.

Thank you for your ongoing support of this key initiative.

Larry P. Pedersen, R.P.F.
ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER
CHIEF FORESTER

FRPA Update #1 - September 15th 2003

Tim Sheldan

As the Chief Forester, Larry Pedersen, indicated in his July 17th e-mail, the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) is currently intended to be brought into force by the new regulations later this year. Successful implementation will necessitate that staff in the three implementing agencies understand FRPA and the changes associated with it, and that we are collectively committed to making FRPA a success.

In an effort to ensure that MOF is adequately prepared, I will be sending out a series of e-mails (FRPA Updates) outlining what FRPA will mean, how we have prepared for its implementation, and what we can do to ensure its success.For now, I will update you on just a few of the activities regarding preparation for implementation:

• The Forest and Range Practices Advisory Council (PAC) has been meeting over the summer and is expected to provide advice on the regulations to the Minister by the end of September. For more information on the PAC, please see the following website: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/code/#pac
• The interagency Provincial FRPA Implementation Team (PFIT) is continuing to refine the tools and processes we will require to ensure successful implementation. Pilots in several areas are currently testing these tools and processes, with a view to consistent application wherever appropriate.
• Training is expected to follow in the spring.

I will provide you with more detailed information in future FRPA Updates.

Tim Sheldan
ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER
OPERATIONS AND TIMBER SALES

FRPA Update #2 - September 22nd 2003

Tim Sheldan

In my September 15th update (FRPA Update #1), I indicated I would be providing you with more detail regarding the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) and its implementation. In this update, I'd like to describe our goals in implementing FRPA, explain the framework on which it is built and provide you with a brief update on our progress in preparing for its implementation.

The implementation of FRPA is intended:

• to strengthen industry's competitiveness and freedom to manage, as well as government's C&E regime;
• to maintain our timber supply, our high environmental standards; and the balance between social, economic and environmental values; and
• to reduce both complexity and administrative costs.

FRPA is built upon a framework of three supporting pillars.

The first pillar is comprised of government's objectives such as those that will be described in the upcoming regulations.

The second pillar is composed of the operational plans developed by licensees. These include Forest Stewardship Plans, Woodlot License Plans, Range Use Plans, and Range Stewardship Plans.

The third and final pillar is our Compliance and Enforcement regime.

Since my last update Forest Service staff across the three Regions have been engaged in reviewing the latest draft of the FRPA regulations, and those review comments have been collated by Operations Division's Legislation and Policy Committee (LPC). LPC has presented these comments to the Field Services Management Team and is currently planning a session with the Chief Forester to go over the resulting comments in order to assist the bi-lateral working groups as they make their final changes to the various regulations.

In future updates I will elaborate on the pillars described above, our strategy for implementing them, and continue to update you on our ongoing preparations for the implementation of FRPA.

Thanks for your ongoing assistance in getting the Division ready for FRPA implementation!

Tim Sheldan
ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER
OPERATIONS AND TIMBER SALES

FRPA Update #3 - October 1st 2003

Tim Sheldan

In my September 22nd update (FRPA Update #2), I described our goals for implementing the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) and the basic framework used to build it. I described this framework as the three pillars (objectives set by government, operational plans and C&E) upon which FRPA is built.

In today's update, I'd like to explain the first pillar (government's objectives) in a little more detail and describe the Provincial FRPA Implementation Team's (PFIT's) proposed strategy for implementing this pillar.

FRPA enables government to set objectives for certain key values, including soils, visual quality, timber, forage, water, fish, wildlife, biodiversity, recreation, cultural heritage, and designated resource features.

These objectives can be set in a number of ways and once established, will drive the results and strategies in licensee operational plans. Note that while the objectives themselves will not be enforceable under FRPA, these licensee proposed results and strategies as approved in an operational plan will be enforceable.

To ensure the objectives pillar is successfully implemented, PFIT has developed a process and a tool (Objective Matrix) for cataloguing and prioritizing these objectives. PFIT will be facilitating a number of Objective Matrix Workshops where regional and district staff from the three agencies will learn about the objective pillar and localize the provincial matrix template provided.

The resulting localized Objectives Matrices will be used:

• by government to prioritize the development of new objectives;
• by licensees to guide operational plan development; and
• by delegated decision makers (e.g. district managers) to assess the results and strategies proposed in operational plans.

I expect these workshops to be facilitated within the next month.

Staff involved will be supplied with additional information prior to the workshops.

My next update will focus on the second of the three pillars (operational planning).

Tim Sheldan
ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER
OPERATIONS AND TIMBER SALES

FRPA Update #4 - October 8th 2003

Tim Sheldan

Good afternoon. As you will recall, in my October 1st FRPA Update, I described the "objectives" pillar the first of the three pillars supporting the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA). In this update I'd like to explain the second element or "pillar" (operational planning) and the Provincial FRPA Implementation Team's (PFIT's) proposed strategy for implementing Forest Stewardship Plans.

Clearly, FRPA requires licensees (and Timber Sales Managers) to develop operational plans (Forest Stewardship Plans, Woodlot License Plans, Range Use Plans, and Range Stewardship Plans). The most common of these is a Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP). An FSP will have a term not exceeding 5 years and will need to comply with practice requirements and describe the results or strategies a licensee proposes in relation to government objectives. Licensees can propose their own results or strategies, or use government's "default results and strategies", but they must ensure their results and strategies are both measurable or verifiable (enforceable).

By developing their own results and strategies, licensees will gain the freedom to explore new methodologies. Key values are protected by the requirement to maintain consistency with government objectives. As with our current FDPs, FSPs undergo First Nations consultation, and public review before approval by government.

To ensure FSPs can be successfully implemented, PFIT has facilitated a number of FSP pilots. These pilots have enabled both the agencies and the licensees involved to develop and test tools and processes that will help us when FRPA is operational. While these tools and processes are still draft in nature, we plan to have them ready in time to support implementation.

In my next update I will focus on the third and final pillar (C&E) of the three pillars supporting the Forest and Range Practices Act, but before I sign off I'd like to quickly update you on some progress from a previous update. If you recall, in FRPA Update #2 I mentioned that staff across the three regions had reviewed the latest draft of the FRPA regulations, and forwarded their review comments to our Operations Division's Legislation and Policy Committee (LPC).

Last Wednesday the Chief Forester and I met with our LPC representatives to discuss these review comments and ensure they are represented at the
<policy team> tables finalizing the various FRPA regulations. The meeting went very well, and the Chief Forester clearly understood the issues that LPC raised and intended to bring them forward to the <policy teams> and also to consider them for review by the Minister and broader government. He and I agreed that there are many pressures involved in building the regulations under FRPA, and the LPC plays an important role in bringing field related issues to the attention of policy makers.

Thanks for reading these updates, and I know everyone is pressed for time and has many issues to deal with in their day to day work, so taking the time to review these notes is appreciated and I think will pay off in the long run as we implement FRPA along with the other policy and legislative initiatives under Government's Forestry Revitalization Plan.

Tim Sheldan
ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER
OPERATIONS AND TIMBER SALES

FRPA Update #5 - October 20th 2003

Tim Sheldan

Good evening everyone. In Update #3 and Update #4 I described the first two pillars supporting the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA). I described these first two pillars as the "objectives set by government" and "operational plans". In this update I'd like to focus on "compliance and enforcement" (C&E), the third and final pillar supporting the new FRPA, and touch on our Provincial FRPA Implementation Team's (PFIT's) proposed strategy for supporting the evolution of our FRPA C&E regime.

Government has made it clear that they expect a tough compliance and enforcement regime that includes both prosecution and administrative remedies. The achievement of this goal will be critical to the successful implementation of the FRPA. Recognizing the resource limitations we are faced with we will need to ensure C&E staff in both the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection (WLAP) and the Ministry of Forests understand and are prepared for their new roles. We will also need to ensure we facilitate a careful analysis of risk and that we prioritize the use of our C&E resources accordingly. Under FRPA our primary C&E role will evolve to assessing compliance and enforcing the results and strategies (default or licensee proposed) contained in approved operational plans; and other requirements contained within the Act and regulations.

Our ability to be successful in this new role will depend largely on our ability to ensure licensee proposed results and strategies are "measurable or verifiable".

To ensure we are able to implement the C&E pillar of FRPA successfully, PFIT
and our C&E Leadership Team (CELT) have facilitated the development of a C&E overview team. This C&E overview team, which is comprised of WLAP representatives and C&E staff from all levels of our C&E organization, will review FRPA and propose the processes, tools and training required to support successful implementation. It is my expectation that this team will both solicit input and feedback from all C&E staff, as well as maintaining a link with senior managers.

Having used the last five updates to describe the basic FRPA construct, I will use the next couple of updates to discuss the principles and roles that will be key to our successful achievement of our FRPA goals.

Before I sign off I'd like to quickly update you on some of the current FRPA progress.

Bill 69 (the amended FRPA) passed third reading in the house on October 8, 2003. Note that it still requires the regulations to be passed before it comes into force.

The FRPA training dates have now been set and you can expect recorded sessions to start February 10, 2004.

We will pilot our Delegated Decision-Maker sessions in the Coast Forest Region on October 21, 2003. The remaining regions will follow soon after.

Thanks for your continued support.

Tim Sheldan
ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER
OPERATIONS AND TIMBER SALES

FRPA Update #6 - October 30th 2003

Tim Sheldan

Good afternoon everyone. This is our Halloween update!! In my Updates #1 through #5, I described government's goals in introducing the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA), and the overall construct of the FRPA framework. In this Update, I'd like to describe the roles and responsibilities of the FRPA partners, and how we will work together to ensure our shared success.

As with the previous Forest Practices Code, FRPA is a shared responsibility of several partner agencies. The lead agencies responsible for FRPA implementation include the Ministry of Forests (MOF), Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection (WLAP), and Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management (MSRM). The success of FRPA will require the co-operation, teamwork and joint effort of all these partner agencies.

The three agencies share accountability for government's four main roles in FRPA:

• Objective setting: MOF, WLAP and MSRM each have various responsibilities for setting objectives to conserve/manage/protect FRPA values (Note: by setting these objectives up front, we achieve government's desire to reduce the need for plan referrals);
• Plan approval: MOF will take the lead for plan approval (Note: this achieves government's desire to have a single point of plan approval);
• Compliance and enforcement: MOF and WLAP will share the lead for compliance and enforcement (through an interagency MOU); and,
• Evaluating effectiveness: MOF and WLAP will share the lead for effectiveness evaluations through the provincial FRPA Resource Evaluation Program with participation from MSRM.

Licensees will develop plans with results and strategies that are consistent with government objectives. They will then be responsible for achieving these results and implementing these strategies.

As FRPA eases the administrative requirements for licensees and government, it increases the reliance on professionals in planning and implementing practices. Professional associations will be responsible for overseeing their professionals (e.g. ensuring professionals act within their scope of practice).

Some recent progress on the FRPA implementation front include:

• A government website (http://gww.for.gov.bc.ca/rco/frpa/Implementation) developed by the Provincial FRPA Implementation Team (PFIT). While its still being developed, it currently contains FRPA Updates and other information that might help agency staff prepare for FRPA and stay apprised of our evolving implementation plans. We are also developing an Internet site that will make this information available to our non-agency partners.
• A workshop for delegated decision-makers was piloted on the Coast, providing valuable feedback which will be used to fine-tune future workshops planned for the other two regions (Northern Interior Nov 25th and Southern Interior - Dec 2nd).
• A compliance and enforcement overview team with representation from WLAP and all three MOF regions has been formed. This team is tasked with developing tools, processes, and plans to implement the compliance and enforcement aspects of FRPA.

In my next Update I will cover how we are co-ordinating our implementation efforts.

Thanks for your continued interest in our FRPA progress.

Tim Sheldan
ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER
OPERATIONS AND TIMBER SALES

FRPA Update #7 - November 7th 2003

Tim Sheldan

In FRPA Update # 6 I discussed the roles and responsibilities of the FRPA partners, and suggested that I would use FRPA Update #7 to discuss how we are coordinating our implementation efforts. I still plan on addressing this topic, but I'd like to deal with it in a future update and use this one to explore a topic many of you have asked me about lately.

Judging from the responses I receive and the feedback Field Services Management Team and the provincial FRPA implementation team receive, many of you are happy with these updates and our efforts to prepare for FRPA, but would like to know what to expect in the shift to FRPA.

Specifically you would like to know:

• What will happen the day FRPA is brought into force?
• Are we ready for it?

What will happen the day FRPA is brought into force?

While FRPA will be a significant change from the Forest Practices Code, the impact of that change will be felt over a manageable transition period. This transition period started last December with Bill 75 and will continue to the end of 2005. An example of the transition that has already occurred with Bill 75 is the elimination of the requirement for new silviculture prescriptions (SPs). District staff have already adapted their business processes to accommodate the lack of SPs. For example district C&E staff have adjusted their compliance inspection processes to accommodate the absence of information previously provided in SPs.

Much of the change still to come will also be phased in over time. For example, we will see a significant change as we move from Forest Development Plans to Forest Stewardship Plans (FSPs). Staff reviewing and approving FSPs will have a new role with new tests to consider.

Monitoring staff will need to facilitate effectiveness evaluations. C&E staff inspecting FSPs will see their role evolve to one of ensuring compliance with the results and strategies contained in approved FSPs. While the transition to FSPs will obviously necessitate significant change, we will work with licensees and our partner agencies to coordinate our efforts and facilitate a smooth, efficient transition by the December 2005 deadline.

Are we ready for it?

I know staff are concerned about the multitude of implementation tasks ahead of them, but given our best assessment of priorities and resources available, I am confident in our ability to manage the change that is FRPA.

Having said that, there is a lot we need to do to ensure our success:

• The FRPA partners need to maintain their commitment to preparation and implementation;
• We need to finalize and implement the tools and business processes we've been developing (i.e. the objective matrix and its district localization (see FRPA Update 3), and FSP submission schedules);
• We need to continue to explore our implementation plans and look for opportunities to improve these plans (i.e. C&E Overview Team); and
• We need to individually explore FRPA and understand how it will impact our jobs (i.e. read updates (<http://gww.for.gov.bc.ca/rco/frpa/Implementation/>) participate in PFIT initiatives, participate in FRPA training (Feb 10-March)).
  

So, while FRPA will necessitate significant change that we can't afford to underestimate, this change will occur over a reasonable transition period. Additionally, I am confident that we have the people and processes in place to successfully implement FRPA, however we need to pull together and work hard between now and FRPA coming into force to be adequately prepared.

In my next Update I'd like to apprise you of some supporting mechanisms such as effectiveness evaluations and professional reliance that form the foundation for the three pillars supporting FRPA.

Thanks for your continued interest in our FRPA progress.

Tim Sheldan
ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER
OPERATIONS AND TIMBER SALES

FRPA Update #8 - November 28th 2003

Tim Sheldan

Good morning everyone, as you remember, I used FRPA Update #7 to respond to some specific questions staff posed regarding "what will happen the day FRPA is brought into force?" and "what has been done to ensure that we are ready for FRPA?".

In this Update, I'd like to describe for you two supporting mechanisms that will form the foundation for FRPA's three pillars. These supporting mechanisms - which are essential but not explicitly contained in FRPA legislation are:

• effectiveness evaluations, and
• professional reliance.

Effectiveness Evaluations

Provincially, a FRPA resource evaluation program has been established. It's goal is to ensure the timely and efficient evaluation of FRPA's effectiveness in facilitating stewardship of the province's forest and range resource values. This cooperative effort involves WLAP, MOF's three regions, and three of MOF's branches (Forest Practices, Research, and RTEB).

Through the resulting evaluation process, we will be able to identify issues regarding the implementation of forest policies, practices, and legislation, and promote the continuous improvement of forest stewardship in BC. To date, executive sponsor Larry Pedersen has approved the program charter, and the team has started identifying and prioritizing issues for each of the 11 FRPA values. They have also developed and tested indicators for soil,
riparian and stand level biodiversity. You can expect more detail on their progress in an upcoming newsletter and a website they are currently developing.

At a local level, agency stewardship staff (MOF, WLAP) will monitor forest practices and evaluate their effectiveness in achieving government objectives. This will provide valuable information that will help us assess the effectiveness of our objectives, and support Delegated Decision-Makers (DDMs) in the assessment of licensee-proposed results and strategies.

Professional Reliance

The second supporting mechanism that makes up FRPA's foundation is the professional reliance mechanism. This mechanism entails relying on the judgement of professionals to design, prescribe and assess the appropriate measures required to achieve government's objectives. Professional associations (Association of BC Forestry Professionals, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC, BC Institute of Agrologists, College of Applied Biology) will ensure accountability and have
partnered with government to strengthen their professional legislation. These associations are also developing internal training, policies and procedures that support FRPA's increased reliance on professionals.

Note that our FRPA training scheduled for February will include a module dedicated to professional reliance.

Some other progress on our FRPA front include:

• Agency staff in all three regions met over the last week or so to set the stage for communicating government's objectives using the Provincial FRPA Implementation Team's (PFIT) objectives matrix tool. Key staff from all three agencies are now localizing this important implementation tool.
• The Northern Interior Region held it's DDM Overview Session with PFIT representatives this week. These sessions are designed to provide DDMs and key staff with information that will support our implementation of FRPA, and provide PFIT with operational feedback on their implementation plans, processes and tools. The Coast Forest Region held its DDM Overview Session a few weeks ago and the Southern Interior Region session will be held in Kamloops on December 2nd.
• On the FRPA training front, training dates and locations are being finalized, district leads are completing logistical arrangements, and work is ongoing on our development of the 11 training modules we plan to facilitate.

In my next Update, I will describe our PFIT and the project management structure we are using to support our implementation of FRPA. In the meantime, thank you for your interest in these updates. A special thank you to those staff in the three agencies currently engaged in our implementation efforts, particularly those agency staff now working to localize our FRPA objective matrix tool.

Tim Sheldan
ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER
OPERATIONS AND TIMBER SALES

FRPA Update #9 - January 19th 2004

Tim Sheldan

FRPA Update #9

We expect that the Forest and Range Practices Act will be brought into force at the end of January, with training to follow in 32 locations starting February 10th. Government's introduction of FRPA represents a shift to a results-based approach in the regulation of forest and range practices. This shift is a natural evolution from the previous Forest Practices Code.

The Forest and Range Practice Act and its regulations introduce efficiencies for government and industry while maintaining the environmental standards that British Columbians and people around the world have come to expect from B.C. Skilled resource professionals can apply the latest science to their work, ensuring B.C.'s high environmental standards continue to be met.

Training
Except for the C&E and Public modules, training will be delivered to joint audiences of industry, government and consultants to ensure a common understanding and promote consistency in implementation.

Because FRPA introduces significant changes in the way we do business, we highly recommend that all staff involved in compliance and enforcement, stewardship, tenures, field operations, timber, range, recreation, woodlots, First Nations, silviculture, forest health, harvesting and road construction, timber sales, planning and related activities attend the overview and professional reliance modules, and other FRPA training sessions relevant to their work.

The FRPA training Program is comprised of nine modules suited for various audiences.

These modules are:

For Forestry Audiences
1. Overview
2. Professional Reliance
3. Planning
4. Harvesting and Road Practices
5. Silviculture Practices

For more information on the content of each module, refer to the FRPA course training standard listed by topic in the left navigation bar of this site. FRPA forest management training will roll out in two phases: with recorded sessions of the first five modules held in 32 locations around the province February 10-12. Delivery costs are covered from central budgets, however space is limited and pre-registration through the Forestry Continuing Studies Network is mandatory for all planning to attend. To register, please visit the FCSN website http://www.fcsn.bc.ca/.

Participants who attend the recorded sessions can deepen their understanding through FRPA online sessions in smaller groups during the weeks of March 1, 8, and 22. Details on topics, dates and registration for these sessions will be provided in the next few weeks.

For Government Compliance and Enforcement Staff
6. Compliance and Enforcement for FRPA module (government staff only)

Please note that the C&E module is in addition to other modules rather than replacing them. The FRPA Compliance and Enforcement module will be delivered to compliance and enforcement staff in MOF, WLAP and other government agencies involved in C&E. Delivery will be through one-day live workshops in each region in March. Registration details will be announced in the near future.

For Woodlot and Community Forest Audiences
7. Woodlot module

Government is working with the Federation of British Columbia Woodlot Associations to deliver training to live audiences in 17 locations. For more information or to register, please refer to the Federation website at http://www.woodlot.bc.ca.

For Range
8. Range Module

The Range training will be delivered by selected Ministry staff who attended a train the trainer session in January. Times, dates and locations for workshops are being coordinated through regional and district MOF offices. For workshop details and information contact:

Bob Drinkwater (NIR - Prince George)
Bob.Drinkwater@gems6.gov.bc.ca
Phone 250.565.4349

Mike McConnell (NIR - Peace)
Mike.McConnell@gems1.gov.bc.ca
Phone 250.784.1219

Francis Njenga (SIR)
Francis.Njenga@gems8.gov.bc.ca
Phone 250.828.4989

For the Public
9. Public Module

Delivery information for this module will be available through the Forestry Continuing Studies Network website http://www.fcsn.bc.ca/ in March.

Additional information is being provided for the logging community, and as time and resources permit, materials will be tailored for other resource users such as First Nations, recreation and tourism, the Timber Sales program, etc.

Roles
As before, we're counting on your support to host and facilitate the sessions, and provide logistical support. However, to lighten staff workloads, the Forestry Continuing Studies Network will be responsible for a number of activities including advertising, registration, and booking facilities.

The Ministry's Information Management Group is working with ministry IT field staff and Common IT Services (CITS) to ensure adequate systems support in place for smooth delivery.

Regional FRPA Training coordinators working with district staff have been integrally involved in planning the delivery of FRPA training. The coordinators are:

NIR Susan.Hoyles@gems7.gov.bc.ca
Phone 250.565.6214

SIR Al.Randall@gems8.gov.bc.ca
Phone 250.828.4183

CFR Chuck.Rowan@gems1.gov.bc.ca
Phone 250.751.7096

Roles of local facilitators and logistics coordinators are available from the regional coordinators.

Time Commitments
In addition to regional FRPA coordinators who will be working closely with the training team, we estimate that FRPA training will require a staff time commitment of:

• local hosts for recorded presentations: 3 days plus a half day prep time;
• 2 facilitators (one for back-up): 2-3 hrs each ; 1 hr to warm-up on technology; 5-6 days total to prepare and deliver;
• logistics coordinator: 5 days (starting now, until training completed);
  systems: 6 days per location; and,
• recorders: 4 days.

For more information regarding the FRPA training, please contact:
Diane.Douglas@gems9.gov.bc.ca
phone 250.356-6327

Thanks in advance for help with this major new policy initiative.

Tim Sheldan
ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER
OPERATIONS AND TIMBER SALES

FRPA Update #10 - February 2nd 2004

Tim Sheldan

Greetings all. Well it's finally here. On January 31, 2004, the regulations to support the Forest & Range Practices Act (FRPA) were brought into effect. Firstly, I would like to congratulate and thank the many people in our organization and our colleagues in other agencies that have worked so hard on this initiative and have made many personal sacrifices to get us to this point. With that said, in this update, I'd like to highlight what's been going on behind the scenes to assist with FRPA implementation.

In my previous FRPA Updates I have tried to convey:

• FRPA's importance to both government and industry;
• the significant cultural and business process evolution it will necessitate; and
• the importance of a coordinated approach to implementation from the three partner agencies.

In this update I'd like to focus on the plan for implementation province-wide. As many of you know, the Provincial FRPA Implementation Team (PFIT) is an interagency team tasked with developing an implementation plan to ensure our successful and consistent implementation of FRPA. PFIT recommended focusing our initial efforts on developing the tools and processes required to support Forest Stewardship Plans (FSPs), compliance and enforcement (C&E), and agency change management.

Using an interagency project management structure that linked PFIT to Regional Implementation Teams, mapping teams, training teams, drafting teams and the existing agency structures, PFIT's various mechanisms (i.e. FSP pilots) are able to assess FRPA and identify potential implementation challenges. Staff at all levels of the three agencies were then utilized to propose tools, processes, legislation changes and training required to address these challenges.

The resulting implementation plans are dynamic and at various levels of detail. For example the overview implementation plan describes many of the components in a general fashion. It outlines the general timelines, tools and processes essential to prepare the partner agencies for FRPA implementation. This overview implementation plan is a snapshot in time and we expect that the tools and process that it represents will continue to evolve. In addition, there are numerous supporting plans that detail our implementation of the various components of the overview plan.

Recognizing our desire to facilitate continuous improvement, a management process has been developed to ensure key success factors are monitored and adjusted as required. The monitoring will be carried out by the appropriate staff. For example, as FSPs become operational, regional and district staff administering FSPs will monitor the business and management processes supporting FSPs, and the local objective matrices developed.

Some recent FRPA progress by PFIT includes:

• Delivery of Objectives Matrix Workshops in all 3 MOF regions
• Objectives matrices have been regionalized and their 1st drafts completed
• Delegated Decision Maker (DDM) Workshops have been delivered to agency managers in the regions and Victoria
• The provincial FSP business process has been localized to a district level (in draft format) in the Coast FSP pilot
• The C&E Overview Team has started developing tools to help C&E staff carry out their duties under FRPA
• An Administrative Guide to FSP's (AGFSP) has been developed for initial release in mid-February. This is living document which will be updated as new information becomes available or is required. It will serve an equivalent function as does the Administration of Forest Operational Plans (AFOP) under the Forest Practices Code.

In my next Update, I will describe in more detail some of the tools being developed and identify the web site where the implementation plans and tools may be found.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Tim Sheldan
ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER
OPERATIONS AND TIMBER SALES

FRPA Online Sessions Schedule Available

Schedule and registration now available for "FPRA Online Sessions" (formerly "Interactive Q&A Sessions").

Register now for a two-hour FRPA On-line (Q&A) Session to be held in March in 32 locations around the province.

Sessions available
In each location there are two sessions available for each of the following topic areas:

• FSP Plan Preparation
• FSP Plan Approval
• Professional Reliance
• Harvesting
• Roads
• Silviculture

The purpose of these sessions are to:

• Deepen your understanding of various aspects of FRPA, its regulations, and the supporting foundation; and,
• Clarify uncertainties regarding FRPA requirements and their intent.

The purpose is not to provide introductory information or teach the material covered in recorded sessions. These sessions presume that attendees have a basic understanding of FRPA and its non-legislative foundation as presented in the FRPA training Companion Guide.

Locations

• MOF boardrooms (see locations on website)
• 15 locations per session
• Audience size:15-20 people at each location

Format
FRPA On-line Sessions were previously called FRPA "Interactive Q&A Sessions." The change in name reflects the format of the sessions as below.

1. FRPA content specialists will deliver a short (10-15 minute) presentation in real time addressing many of the common themes in the questions submitted to the Q&A website. Listeners will hear the presenter and see information on the screen.
2. In the following hour and a half, each location will have an opportunity to ask a few questions of a panel of specialists. They will hear answers to the questions posed from each location.

*Please note that due to audience size and time constraints, a limited number of questions can be posed by each site.

The same presentation will be given in each of the sessions, while audience questions may differ.

Pre-requisites
In order to make best use of the specialists time and provide an opportunity
for deeper learning, the following prerequisites apply: Participants
should have:

• attended the relevant recorded session February 10-12;
• read the Companion Guide sections relevant to the topic area; and,
• reviewed the Q&A website to find out whether your questions have
  been asked or answered. (Use the key word search to find similar questions.) http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/pscripts/pab/fordisc/view_discussion.asp?TopicID=47

It is not necessary to attend in order to benefit from these sessions. The FRPA online Q&A sessions will be recorded and available from the FRPA Training Website. http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/code/

Registration
The schedule and registration is available now at www.learningestore.com/bcmof.

(Note for MOF Staff: All Forest Service staff are already entered onto the registration system as existing users as a result of the Records Management training. The original password (valid unless you changed yours), will be sent in a separate e-mail)).

Each non-MOF subscriber can enter a password of their choice.

When you are on the website, go to advanced search, then select all topics and your location. The 12 sessions specific to your location will appear.

Before registering, check to see whether there are seats available by clicking on the 'Schedule' hotlink, and scrolling down to 'Status.' If there is a waitlist for one session, you may want to check the other time slot.

To change or withdraw your registration please contact the FRPA training contact for your session at frpa_sessions_intro.html

For information on FRPA Online Sessions, please contact:

Diane Douglas
Email: Diane.Douglas@gems9.gov.bc.ca
Telephone: 250.356.6327.