Appendix to Policy 1.3 - Guidelines for Responding to Information Requests

Effective Date: 01-Oct-93
Responsible Branch: Information Management Group

Management Services Volume Table of Contents | Amendment Log

The following alphabetical lists are intended to guide staff in responding to a request for information. They include a variety of information subjects or types commonly requested.

In many cases, the information may be released without further deliberation. If not, staff should tell the requester a written request is required.

If the information requested is common to two or more ministries, e.g., an annual report, it is listed in the General Information section.

Staff who are unsure how to proceed with a request after referring to the policy are urged to check promptly with their FOI Contact or the Information and Privacy Section (387-2227). Sections of the Act that may apply for each type of information are also listed. Please note that these lists, as well as the relevant sections of the Act, are not all inclusive.

All records regarding the tendering and awarding of contracts and disclosure of purchase, including Requests for Proposals, Bids, Public Tenders, their evaluations, and pertinent correspondence are listed under Contracts in the General Information list below.

General Information

Release

• Annual reports: Ministry and branch-approved; sold through Crown Publications and in some cases, by branches
• Backgrounders: published background information on issues, often released with news releases
• Contractors and consultants: lists of, including names, addresses, and phone numbers
• Contracts: award letters
• Contracts: bidders' meeting minutes
• Contracts: cancellation of
• Contracts: evaluation of each bid, proposal, tender (after contract signed)
• Contracts: evaluation criteria weightings
• Contracts: Invitation to Quote, Request for Proposals, Public Tender (anytime)
• Contracts: list of companies who bid (after contract signed)
• Contracts: list of bidders invited (after contract signed)
• Contracts: summary of evaluations of bids, proposals, tenders (after contract signed)
• Co-operative Management Agreements (after contract signed)
• Daily scale book
• Five-year Forest and Range Resource program (final copy)
• Harvest history data: quantity of timber cut by given company, etc.
• Harvest volume and lumber production in particular areas of the province: number of mills operating, what access they have to timber, etc.
• House Briefing notes published in the Hansard Blues
• List of tree farm licences and who holds them
• Manuals of the Ministry (for sale either through Crown Publications or individual branches)
• Maps, aerial photos
• News releases
• Policy and procedures, regulations (approved)
• Polls and surveys
• Stumpage rates for a specific cutting authority (Timber Mark)
• Timber supply analyses
• Trespass violations and stumpage fees/penalties charged (release when appeal process is completed)

Get Written Request

• Appeal decisions under the Forest Act and Range Act: e.g., appeals re scaling, stumpage, licence cancellation, etc. (Sect. 22)
• Audit reports: Audit Services Branch audits, financial reviews, audit forester reports, technical reviews, etc. (Sect. 17, 21, 22)
• Budget working papers, including development packages (Sect. 17)
• Contracts: bidders correspondence and responses (after contract signed) (Sect. 21, 22)
• Contracts: bids, proposals, tenders (including information such as methodology that arises form research) (Sect. 21, 22)
• Contracts: briefing note recommending contract award (after contract signed) (Sect. 13)
• Contracts: evaluation committee members' notes and memoranda (after contract signed) (Sect. 13, 17)
• Contracts: negotiation information (after contract signed) (Sect. 13, 17, 21)
• Contracts: requisition (after contract signed) (Sect. 13, 17)
• Contracts: signed contract or purchase order (after contract signed) (Sect. 17, 21, 22)
• Contracts: unit prices (Sect. 17, 21)
• Legal advice provided to Ministry; communications between Ministry and its lawyers (Sect. 14)
• Performance grading of consultants (e.g., poor, good, excellent) that may include information about an individual's capability (Sect. 22)
• Policy and procedures (Sect. 16, 17)
• Revenue enforcement: audit inspections, etc. (Sect. 21)
• Scale and royalty invoices (Sect. 21)
• Scaling information: scale returns, measurement of logs, revenue check scales performed by Ministry staff, etc. (Sect. 21)
• Stumpage rates: information on the calculation of rates for a company requested by a third party (Sect. 21)

Economics and Trade Information

Release

• Lists of all processing facilities in the province (free, would include some of the mills on the Small Business Enterprise Program list)
• Silviculture cost statement: average silviculture costs in an area of BC

Get Written Request

• Chip Export Advisory Committee (CEAC) submissions to Ministry executive or Cabinet (Sect. 12, 13, 17)
• Job Protection Commission (independent group that looks at companies in financial trouble; files contain financial information on companies) (Sect. 21)
• Softwood Lumber Countervailing Duty Action information (Sect. 12, 13, 16, 17)
• Timber Export Advisory Committee (TEAC) submissions to Ministry executive or Cabinet (Sect. 12, 13, 17)

Financial Services Information

Release

• Budget instructions, approved budgets as shown in the Estimates

Get Written Request

• Accounts payable (Sect. 21)
• Accounts receivable: collection data, encumbrances, set-offs, write-offs (Sect. 21)
• Budget allocations, reallocations, FTE projections (Sect. 17)
• Budget working papers (Sect. 17)
• Company operating data, credit information (Sect. 21)
• Payroll
• Security: loss investigation reports, case files (Sect. 21, 22)
• Treasury Board submissions: submission information, special warrants, pre-approvals (Sect. 12, 13, 17)

Human Resources Information

Release

• Grievance file (employees seeking access to their own files following final decision)
• Position classification (e.g. deputy minister, executive positions)
• Position description
• References: information requested by a prospective employer about an employee where that information was discussed by the employee and Ministry personnel in the performance planning process
• Staffing levels in area to be reorganized: number of FTEs, etc.

Get Written Request

• Appeal, classification (employees seeking access to their own files prior to final decision)
• Grievance file (employees seeking access to their own labour relations grievance files prior to final decision) (Sect. 22)
• Negotiated entitlements to affected employee (requested by a third party) (Sect. 22)
• Panel members' notes on applicant, written during competition
• Personal information on another person (Sect. 22)
• Questions and sample answers from a competition
• Rehabilitation list (names of employees on the list)
• Verification of employment (usually a financial institution seeking confirmation of employee's status and approximate salary)

Inventory Information

Release

• Computer digital files on disk or cassette (marketable information is sold in this form; cost schedule is being determined)
• Computer digital file information in hard copy form

Protection Information

Release

• Burning permits
• Direct fire costs to date
• List of companies that submit tenders
• List of contractors
• Staffing levels on fires

Get Written Request

• Consultants' reports (may contain third party information) (Sect. 21)
• Cost of North American Forestry Commission international exchange programs (may contain information that if released could harm intergovernmental relations) (Sect. 16)
• Fire Audit (Sect. 21)
• Memorandum of Understanding with other countries (Sect. 16)
• Smoke management plan: estimate of damage (Sect. 17, 21)
• Strategic fire control plan: estimated cost and approach in putting out fire that has escaped initial attack (Sect. 21)

Range Information

Release

• Appeal or objection of tenure award
• Grazing permits and licences: information on number of livestock for a given period eating a given amount of forage
• Hay cutting permit (to harvest hay on a specified area)
• Range inspection reports from Crown tenures

Get Written Request

• Application for grazing permit or licence (may contain financial information that would fall under personal information category) (Sect. 22)
• Application for hay cutting permit or licence (may contain information that would fall under personal information) (Sect. 22)

Recreation Information

Release

• Map brochures
• Protected Areas Strategy Document (published)
• Reports, technical

Get Written Request

• Protected Areas Strategy files (containing third party information or legal opinions) (Sect. 14, 21)

Research Information

Release

• Information such as seed sources accompanying plant materials (cuttings, scions)
• Publications: routinely released information
• Reports: progress and final, containing technical and research information

Get Written Request

• Data used in research by the branch where providers, including researchers and co-operatives, have secured agreements with the branch that the information and source would not be released (Sect. 21)
• Data compiled by researchers (Sect. 17)

Silviculture Information

Release

• Contract: Camp Standards (Schedule D outlines minimum standards, assessments for infractions, etc.)
• Contract, Silviculture: award letter, general agreement, conditions of agreement with contractor, cancellation of contract letter
• Contract, Silviculture: Summary of Tenders Received
• Contract, Tree Planting: Schedule A (terms and conditions)
• Pre-harvest Silviculture Prescription

Get Written Request

• Contract, Tree Planting: Schedule B (schedule contains specifics on stock type, spacing, number of trees, etc.) Unit price information not to be automatically released. (Sect. 21)
• Contract, Tree Planting: tender form. Unit price information not to be automatically released. (Sect. 21)

Timber Harvesting Information

Release

• Applications for authorization to harvest and agreements to harvest Crown timber as listed in Section 10 of the Forest Act; the agreements include:
  1. forest licence
  2. timber sale licence
  3. timber licence
  4. tree farm licence
  5. pulpwood agreement
  6. woodlot licence
  7. free use permit
  8. licence to cut
  9. road permit
  10. Christmas tree permit
  11. cutting permit
• Apportionment and commitment listings: breakdown of the allowable annual cut within a timber supply area
• Cut control figures in cut control letters (30 days after letter mailed to licensee)
• Cut control letters
• Development Plan: first stage of operational planning at the resource development planning stage; identifies specific plans of the licensee for the next five year period.
• Five-year performance information
• Forest Timber Administration System print-outs relating to cutting permits (tracking Forest Tenure information)
• Inspection reports of harvesting and road management activities after District Manager has approved of release of report (Sect. 17, 21)
• Lists of equipment operators which Ministry hires for building roads
• Logging Plan: information sent by companies to forest districts when requesting cutting permits
• Management Plan: document required by TFL and forest licence agreements; contains information on how the licensee plans to manage the area over five-year period.

Get Written Request

• Correspondence between licensee and Ministry re cutting permit (tracking of licence) (Sect. 21)
• Estimated and actual costs for road or entire construction project
• Letters/memos from within the Ministry and between the Ministry and licensees. (Sect. 13, 17, 21, or other exceptions may apply)
• Property acquisitions for Ministry purposes, e.g., road right-of-way acquisitions, letter of offer to landowner, appraisal of land including such information as comparable sales in recent market, etc. (Sect. 17, 21)

Small Business Forest Enterprise Program Information

Release

• District business plan (budget information for small businesses)
• Licence documents (timber sale licences)
• List of companies which submitted tenders
• List of registrants in SBFEP (lists or partial lists may be sold)
• Reports: district quarterly (volume of wood sold and billed), monthly status, monthly review
• Reports: monthly status (financial information)

Valuation Information

Release

• Appraisal Data Sheet: summary of calculations on the appraisal worksheet (description of timber)
• Appraisal Worksheets: location of cutting areas, inspection, miles of roads; submitted by licensee
• Cruise data
• Stumpage: collection history (general information on whether a company's account is in good order)
• Volumes or billings for specific timber mark, for specified period
• Work Progress Plan: part of Silviculture contract containing work area, beginning and completion dates, number of workers, etc.

Get Written Request

• Market value information. This information is supplied by companies as required by the Forest Act (s.149). The Ministry provides summary data which does not reveal the sources of information. [Sect. 21(1)]
• Timber appraisal information
• Licensee woods (logging) cost survey
• Licensee milling cost survey

Indicate most recent changes

Return to policy 1.3, Responding to Requests for Information.