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Series consists of ministry copies of freedom of information requests that were investigated by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC). The files reflect the work of one government information and privacy office and that of the OIPC. There is also one file that represents a judicial appeal about one of the orders of the OIPC.

The freedom of information requests were processed by one Information and Privacy office that represented multiple ministries and related agencies. The files document requests for records from the Ministry of Environment, Land and Parks, Ministry of Water Land and Air Protection, Ministry of Sustainable Development, and Ministry of Environment, between 2000 and 2007.

The files consist of a copy of the original application for records, correspondence between staff and the applicant, correspondence between the ministry and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC), submissions to the OIPC, correspondence with the Legal Services Branch, and a copy of the OIPC order. These files also include photocopies of the requested pages. The files in this series were classified as 292-30 in the BC Government Operational Records Classification System (ORCS).

Ministry staff assigned a number to each of these files. Most files were assigned a number that consisted of a ministry prefix followed by a sequential number. Pre-2001 file numbers were assigned a number that reflected the year of the request followed by a sequential number.

This series contains records relating to the Integrated Cadastral Initiative Society (ICIS).
ICIS is a non-for-profit organization and a partnership between local governments, the Province of British Columbia and major utility companies in British Columbia. The goal of this initiative is to develop, use and maintain a province-wide integrated cadastral database of all legal land parcels and their related infrastructure (spatial data). ICIS would handle infrastructure to enable access to the data by its members which would benefit business communications and processes by only needing to go to a single source to obtain the data required to meet operational needs. This would encourage quality data and cost savings resulting from the elimination of duplication of effort.

Currently, the series contains records dating from before its incorporation in 2002 up until 2004. The records were kept by the manager of the Spatial Data Management Section, Crown Land Registry Services of the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management and by the MSRM Partnerships Branch. The records represent a provincial government’s perspective into this multi-member partnership.

The records were mostly classified under ARCS number 200-20: General Committees however the records cover nearly every aspect of ICIS daily functions and activities. Primarily, the records cover project management, administration, and financial information. Records relating to project management include meeting minutes and agenda from the steering committee, board meetings, annual general meetings and director meetings. They also include numerous reports (including annotated drafts) related to the establishment of the organization, Integrated Cadastral Fabric (ICF) standards and specifications, database design, marketing plans and business plans. Project charters, focus group meetings, short and long term plans, and executive summaries are also included.

Administration-related documents include correspondence regarding general inquiries, comments, and memberships. There are also signed and draft agreements with partners, relating to membership terms and to confirm sharing and licensing agreements. There is also information on ICIS history, constitution and by-laws, policies, procedures and organizational structures.

Financial information in this series covers funding, grants, banking services proposals, balance sheets, financial statements and audits.

The records in this series relate to Water Use Plans in British Columbia.
In 1998 the province formally initiated a Water Use Planning (WUP) program. WUP is a cooperative effort involving BC Hydro, the provincial government, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and First Nations and other key interested parties. Guidelines were published describing steps required to complete and implement a water use plan. At each facility these plans attempt to define suitable operating parameters which balance environmental, social and economic values. The WUPs are intended to accommodate other water use interests through incremental changes in how existing water control facilities store and release water. WUP are not intended to be comprehensive watershed management plans to deal with water management issues associated with other activities in the watershed such as forestry and mining.

Each hydro facility had their own Consultative Committee of stakeholders, representing a range of interests. These committees held meetings with the aim to establish operating objectives for water use and management for the various water systems. Committee reports express their interests, values, and recommendations and document the consultative process. It is a supporting document meant to help inform and prepare BC Hydro’s Water Use Plan. This series contains both committee reports and the final version of BC Hydro’s Water Use Plans that were submitted to the Comptroller of Water Rights for review under the Water Act.
The reports include a system description (basins, rivers, dams, reservoirs etc.), methodology, hydro operation studies and results.

The series also contain BC Hydro data and interim orders from the Comptroller of Water Rights. Interim orders appear to be proposed operational changes to achieve flows which will provide incremental improvements for fish while the water use plan process was underway and assessment was still being made to determine what the most suitable or preferred flows for fish should ultimately be.

Finally, a few documents in the series deal with redevelopment plans to support BC Hydro water license applications in light of recommendations established in the Water Use Plans.

Series consists of course materials used to train staff in wildlife habitat inventories and assessments. The courses were created by the BC Government’s Resources Inventory Committee to train staff in how to create inventories of small mammals, raptors, bats, songbirds, the Marbled Murrelet and Plethodontod Salamanders.

The material includes instructor and participant manuals and workbooks. The workbooks contain a wide variety of media including overhead transparencies, slides, compact discs, cassettes, photographs and maps.

These records were classified as 17635-05 in the Administrative Classification System (ARCS).

This series contains records from the Conservation Service Office, part of the Enforcement program of the Ministry of Environment and its predecessors. The series contains records related to the image/identity of the service, such as details on the establishment of their service flag, commemoration medals and motto. There are also records related to Conservation Officer job descriptions and job training which includes manuals and/or instructions related to writing reports, conducting investigations and handling firearms. The series also covers information related to special sections under the Enforcement program for commercial and industrial investigations.

The series contains records pertaining to the implementation and monitoring of strategic land use plans, including the development of such procedures.

The records cover a range of activities, from advisory committees, public gatherings, monitoring tables, member appointments and invitations, as well as inventories on range, wildlife, old growth forests, habitats and archaeological sites among other topics. Records particularly pertain to feedback received on approved plans prior and during implementation in order to identify issues and suggest amendments. Many of these comments come from Open House sessions with the general public. The series also includes a copy of a Implementation and Monitoring Framework as well as Terms of Reference for monitoring table duties.

The series also includes Protected Area Orders for areas chosen and approved to be protected areas under the Park Act. These orders are accompanied by maps of the area in question.
The records are arranged according to the Resource Management Operational Records Classification System (schedule 144100) using the following primary numbers:

17550: RMP – Land and Resource Management Plans
17730: RMP – Sustainable Resource Management Plans
And the secondary numbers -40 (effectiveness monitoring case files) and -50 (implementation case files).

This series currently contains records from the Kamloops, Lillooet LRMP and the Okanagan-Shuswap LRMP tables. The records from the associated accession(s) cover all types of land use and resource planning, including landscape unit plans, sustainable resource management plans, land and resource management plans, local and regional resource use plans, and other land and/or resource use plans as they were all part of a greater land-use strategy.

This series contains records accumulated by the Design and Construction Officer of BC Parks in relation to park facilities. The records contain ample information about standards and projects conducted on BC Park land in order to develop recreation facilities. Guidebooks and manuals in the series demonstrate the proper procedures for building trails, bridges, boardwalks, shelters, tables, signs, steps/stairs etc.

The records also discuss the Forest Renewal BC (FRBC) programs, for which BC Parks was in charge of the Forest Recreation Program. The program provided funding to BC Parks Districts for projects that could be contracted to displaced forest workers, thus helping to renew the BC forest sector. The projects aimed to develop recreation opportunities in provincial parks, including better facilities like trails and campgrounds that would contribute to responsible management of recreation resources. Types of records relating to BC Parks involvement with the FRBC include presentation materials (discussing the program, budgets, forecasts and accomplishments), as well as guidebooks about all FRBC programs.

The series also includes approximately 405 colour photographic prints of various work projects being conducted on BC Parks land. The photographs cover a range of topics such as photographs of landscapes, newly refurbished or installed campgrounds, issues with trails and photographs of workers on site. Many of the original film negatives accompany the photographs.

The records are arranged according to the BC Parks Operational Records Classification System (schedule 113827).

This series contains the correspondence referral replies of the Ministry of Environment and its predecessors from 1995-2009. Executive correspondence referral replies, also known as minister’s letters, include letters to the executive and their reply letters.

Correspondence deals with a variety of issues related to the environment. Some records record the concerns and complaints from the public about environmental factors, such as the presence of pollution clouds, bad odours or waste in the environment. Others relate to different initiatives and programs proposed by the ministry. A small number of Information Notes and Decision Notes sent internally to executive members of the Ministry are also in the records. There are also letters to the editor written by the Minister to various newspapers in response to articles concerning the Ministry or the environment.

Records are mainly arranged by referral (reference) number with each chain of correspondence filed in its own folder. There are cases in which multiple people wrote in the same complaint or concern; these letters have been filed in the same folder. Records from the Minister’s Office are arranged chronologically by the date of receipt with records arranged into folders by month. Some boxes contain file lists with either a list of the sender/recipient's name and/or the subject of the letter.

The series is arranged by accession number, which contains the records created by a particular office or executive. Currently, the series contains the following eight accessions:

Accession 96-3526 contains the correspondence from the Environment Protection Division of the ministry.

Accession 93-2700 contains correspondence from the Minister’s Office Correspondence Unit. Records consist mainly of interim responses, minister reply drafts sent to the minister for approval and signing, as well as direct replies written by the Environment Protection Division on behalf of the minister.

Accession 95-5840 contains the correspondence of B.C. Environment, Prince George office, specifically correspondence sent, copied or for reply by the Director of Omineca-Peace region, Environmental Protection.

Accession 96-0105 contains the correspondence of the Environmental Stewardship and Protected Areas Division, Lower Mainland Region.

Accession 96-3531 contains correspondence from the Water Stewardship Division, Lower Mainland Region.

Accession 96-3525 contains correspondence of the Environmental Stewardship Division, Lower Mainland Region. All files also contain copies of the original letters received.

Accession 93-0681 contains letters referred to the Minister for reply.

Accession 96-9659 contains correspondence referrals from the Biodiversity Branch with topics mainly concerning wildlife protection.

Accession 95-9854 contains records from the Minister's Office with topics related to environmental protection, environmental stewardship, water stewardship and conservation officer service.

Accession 96-0944 contains correspondence related to the enforcement program and include topics such as investigations into violations of environmental laws, memos regarding BC Conservation Officer Service achievements and misconduct complaints (includes appendices on their powers and responsibilities), letters from animal rights activists, wildlife-human conflicts and general services provided by the COS.

Records in this series are classified under ARCS number 280-30.

The series consists of the records of the Public Affairs and Communications Branch of the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. The records show how the Branch was involved with Ministry work.

Records typically relate to relations between the Ministry and the public. Currently the series includes the records from a few inter-ministerial committees on which the Branch participated. These records include meeting minutes, documents for review, notes, and other material.

The series also contains media release projects from the Ministry which were handled by the branch. These include news releases and approvals, media advisories and information bulletins dealing with various topics about the province’s environment.

The series contains the records of the Forest Practices Code Steering Committee (Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks). The Forest Practices Code was under the joint-administration of the Ministry of Forests, the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks and the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. The Forest Practices Code, which was one part of the Forest Renewal Strategy, sought to enforce forest management practices in British Columbia that would be economically and environmentally sustainable for future generations. It placed new requirements for land use planning, introduced more extensive and stringent forest practice legislation and brought stronger enforcement. Both the Ministry of Forests and the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks had their own steering committee to discuss, plan and implement the Forest Practices Code. There was an additional joint steering committee for all three ministries involved in the project. At the moment, this series only contains the records created and accumulated by the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks for its steering committee, though some files created by other ministries may be included in the records as these would have been distributed to them and discussed.

In addition to meeting minutes and agenda, there are a variety of records related to the development and implementation of the Forest Practices Code by the ministry. This includes some records from smaller sub-committees and groups such as the Technical Subcommittee, the Policy Working Group, the Resource Allocation Committee and the Implementation Team, among others, who were responsible for developing technical and administrative policy, procedures and training. The records document code development, budgets, training, new jobs created and important decisions taken by the committee. Other records include communications (memos, correspondence), organizational structure, briefing notes, memorandum of understanding, monitoring and assessment of implementation strategies, status reports, information needs analysis (for database infrastructure) and treasury board submission to release funds for delivery of the Forest Practices Code.

The records are arranged chronologically into folders. They are classified using ARCS schedule 100001.

This series includes records relating to the review of socio-economic and environmental assessments (SEEA). The records cover the development of policy and procedures for assessments and assessment analysis. They also document the reviews that have been performed in support of Resource Management Plans.
Every resource management plan requires socio-economic and an environmental assessment to confirm the objectives and viability of the plan. Typically a consultant is hired during the creation of a plan to perform the analysis which is then examined and reviewed to verify its accuracy and objectives.

The records in this series include various ministries’ comments on plans and requests for conservation and environmental protection measures in relation to proposed plans. Government produced documents also include notices of pending environmental certificates from developers, as well as briefing notes, news releases and announcements. The series also contains the records of related working groups and committees who were involved in facilitating workshops on assessing projects, organizing the process and analyzing the assessments.

Other records include third party evaluations of proposed developments, such as resorts and landfills, and analysis and impact concerns on wildlife, water resources and the environment in addition to socio-economic impacts. Some environmental assessment certificate applications submitted by developers are also included and cover research conducted for the assessment as well as maps and graphs.

The records are arranged according to the Resource Management Operational Records Classification System (schedule 144100) using the following primary numbers:

17400: RMP – Resource Management Plans

And the secondary number -40 (SEEA review case files).

This series currently contains records from the Kamloops, Lillooet LRMP and the Okanagan-Shuswap LRMP tables. The records from the associated accession(s) cover all types of land use and resource planning, including landscape unit plans, sustainable resource management plans, land and resource management plans, local and regional resource use plans, and other land and/or resource use plans as they were all part of a greater land-use strategy.

This series contains executive correspondence referrals and executive briefing notes from the Land Use Branch of the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. Most records relate to individual Commission on Resources and the Environment (CORE) land use plans for the various regions of BC and include letters from other ministries, non-profit or non-governmental organizations, municipalities, First Nations governments, corporations and the general public. The correspondence documents the public response to land use planning initiatives during the CORE land-use strategy which was announced in 1994 and dissolved in 1996. The CORE strategy was replaced by Land and Resource Management Plans (LRMPs).

The records are significant as they document the public’s concern over how land in British Columbia should be managed and protected. Letters typically express support or disagreement with proposed plans, or offer opinions on specific topics or sections of the plans.

The records are classified under the Administrative Records Classification System (ARCs Schedule 100001) and use the primary number 280 – executive services. More specifically, files appear to be arranged by region or topic. They are further arranged into files for letters received for informational purposes (i.e. letters on which the Branch was copied to but need not reply directly to) and files for letters in need of reply by the Branch.

This series contains various cabinet committees and working groups representing environmental issues. These particular files were kept by the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. The committees were made to advise the Deputy Minister and Minister on important environmental issues to bring to Cabinet. Currently, the majority of the records pertain to the Green Economy Initiative for which there was a Deputy Minister’s Committee and a Working Group. This Initiative worked on boosting the province’s economy using eco-friendly innovation and investments into green companies. A smaller portion of the files belong to the Forest Renewal BC Environment Committee which worked on a terrestrial ecosystem restoration program.
The records of these committees typically contain agenda, presentations, summary reports, appointment letters and accompanying materials for discussion meetings. The series also contains minister’s briefing books for the Green Economy Initiative as well as a cabinet submission form for reducing gas emissions. There is also a file with government’s policy on security for Cabinet documents.

This series consists of a variety of executive records, including, briefing notes, decision notes, ministry Orders in Council, ministerial orders and Cabinet submissions from 1998-2005. The records were created by the Ministry of Environment and its predecessors, the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, and the Ministry of Water, Lands and Air Protection. The records were created by several offices for the information or decision of the Minister, Deputy Minister, the Assistant Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Enforcement Programs, and other executive members of the ministries.

Records may address any subject related to the mandate of the ministries. The records are arranged by accession number, then by file code, then chronologically by date.

Accession 95-5839 contains briefing notes from the Parks Division. Briefing notes in yearly files are arranged by District, then month and day. The topics of the briefs concern the creation and development of new parks and conservations areas; the deletion, removal or transfer of park lands; the construction of infrastructure in parks including roads and powerlines; park use permits and fees; the changing uses of park lands for recreation; issues surrounding mining and logging in and around park lands; response to pine beetle infestations; safety concerns and accidents involving park visitors; changes to legislation; First Nations treaty negotiations regarding park land; as well as approval and development of park Master Plans and Management Plans.

Accession 95-7183 contains briefing notes from the Environmental Protection Division. The topics of the briefs concern waste control and management, environmental health, climate change, pollution prevention, recycling and waste disposal programs, among other related topics.

Accession 96-0944 contains briefing notes from the Enforcement program. The topics of these records mainly concern enforcement services regarding non-compliance with environmental standards, the Conservation Officer Service (including their training and firearms safety), contaminated sites, wildlife, and habitat protection as it relates to environmental laws.

Accession 95-8904 contains executive records from the Deputy Ministers Office. Records include briefing notes, decision notes, ministry Orders in Council (OICs), ministerial orders, Cabinet submissions, correspondence, and related reference material. Subjects and issues addressed may cover all programs and divisions of the ministry. Records may be addressed specifically to the Deputy Minister for their signature or approval, or they may be informational reference copies from the Minister of other Executives. Some of the records may be duplicated in other accessions.

Records in this series are classified under ARCS numbers 135-35, 135-60, 201-40 and 280-20.

The series contains various correspondence and notes from public servants in the Ministry of Environment in regards to pollution monitoring. The records mainly comprise printed copies of emails. The ad hoc committee was started to look into public’s opinion of voluntary permittee self-monitoring. Essentially, it was determined that the public did not trust industrial polluters to monitor their own emissions and wanted the government to intervene and enforce these polluters to pay for a monitoring program and to produce quality and reliable data in relation the amount of pollution they were creating. The correspondence in this series consists of various members of this committee discussing ideas on how to improve both pollution monitoring programs and the public’s opinion of the government in enforcing such programs.

The series consists of records relating to the development of land and resource management plans (LRMPs) vis-à-vis the consultation that occurred with First Nations during the planning process. Land and Resource Management Planning was developed in British Columbia in the 1990s as an integrated, sub-regional, consensus-building process to produce plans for review and approval by government. The plans established direction for land use and specified broad resource management objectives and strategies. LRMPs covered a number of resource sectors -- natural or social resources such as tourism, forestry or mining. The process included development, implementation, monitoring and the amendment of land and resource management plans.

The files in this series were titled and organized in most instances as case files and based on the name of the First Nations involved in the consultation process.

The records relate to the development of the consultation process between ministries and First Nation groups for LRMPs which included preparing terms of reference, conducting research and assessments, compiling and analyzing data, consulting with interested parties, presenting plan drafts, taking the proposed plan through the approval process, and monitoring after implementation.

Record types include correspondence, memoranda, recommendations including legal advice, discussion papers, draft agreements for discussion, presentations, community meeting records, maps, plans, drafts of agreements between the Province and First Nations, briefing notes prepared for the Minister and Deputy Minister, forest company information, among numerous other types of records.

The Archives has retained these records because they provide evidence of provincial policy advice and direction for the management of public lands and resources, and evidence of the consultation that occurred with First Nations groups during the resource planning process.

The series contains organizational charts and accompanying records that explain the restructuring of the Water Management Division from the period 1993-1995. Records include explanations to changes in positions and titles.

Records are arranged according to the Administrative Records Classification System and fall under the primary number 105 : Organization.

The series contains records originated from the office of Denis O’Gorman, Assistant Deputy Minister of Parks (BC Parks). The records appear to be copies saved by the ADM for convenience and reference purposes. They provide evidence of the ADM’s day-to-day activities as well as his participation in various aspects of the Parks function.
Within the records are files from the Parks Management Committee. These include minutes, agenda, expenses/budget, memos, articles, summaries of correspondence and information requests, items for discussion at meetings (including the 1996-2000 Action Plan and the 1993 Employee Survey), summaries of job vacancies and appointments, projects, notes and issues.

The series also contains several files of correspondence, including copies of letters on which the Assistant Deputy Minister was copied, correspondence referral requests assigned to the office of the ADM on the topic of the Protected Areas Strategy as well as a folder of correspondence signed by the Assistant Deputy Minister on a range of topics related to protected parks establishment and management in British Columbia.

The series contains various agreements related to funding for water-related projects by the Water Management Division of the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. Many of the records in this series are memorandum of understanding and accompanying files detailing financial contributions from the Division toward various water studies, such as groundwater studies. There are also records regarding funding for special projects, such as flood management and dyke construction.

The records show what the projects were, who was involved with the projects and how much money the Water Management Division was able to contribute.

The records are arranged using various primary numbers from the Administrative Records Classification System (Schedule 100001) and include 152-25 : approved municipal agreements, 950-20: federal agreements and 1150-30: grant contribution case files.

This series assembles records related to the development of policies and procedures for all aspects of Land and Resource Management Plans. Currently the series contains the following policies and procedures:
-TSA (Timber Supply Area) landscape unit plans which outline policies to establish wildlife treepatch requirements in the Kamloops TSA as described by Forest Practices Code and LRMP.

-Provincial policy for consultation with First Nations including a FAQ section, definitions of terms, procedures for the consultation process and consultation guidelines.

-Management, tenure administration and disposition of Crown Land.
-Commercial recreation on Crown Land policy.
-Crown land use planning enhancement program.
-South Okanagan regional growth strategy.

The records are arranged according to the Resource Management Operational Records Classification System (schedule 144100) using the following primary numbers:

17020: Resource Management – Aboriginal relations
17400: RMP – Resource Management Plans
17430: RMP – Ad hoc plans
17580: RMP – Landscape Unit Plans
And the secondary number -00 (policy and procedures)

This series contains administrative files relating to CORE planning activities kept by the Land Use Branch and its predecessor the Integrated Land Policy Branch of the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. The dates of the majority of the records coincide with the existence of the Commission on Resources and Environment (CORE) which lasted from 1992-1996.

The records appear to have been kept for informational purposes, with a large portion of the records being copies received by the Branch from other agencies, mainly CORE and LUCO (Land Use Coordination Office). It is possible that some staff from the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks kept these records in their capacity as Senior Policy Advisor or member of the Integrated Resource Planning Committee.

Types of records include correspondence regarding policies and legislation reviews, information issues, LUCO decision notes, memos, cabinet submissions, technical reviews and analysis reports related to a variety of topics covered under CORE plans, comments on reports, participant interviews about CORE plans, summary of workshops as well as summaries of decision options. Other records include copies of terms of reference and minutes of meetings, particularly of ratification meetings and planning process meetings.

The records are classified using the Administrative Records Classification System (ARCS schedule 100001).

The series consists of administrative records concerning land and resource use planning activities related to legislation, agreements, committees, reports and programs. The majority of the records come from the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, however some files originate from its successor body the Integrated Land Management Bureau, part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. Some records may also originate from the Land Use Coordination Office.

A portion of the records deal with legislation. These records include files related to Ministry meetings on legislation, legislative programs, projects and the deregulation of statutes as recommended by the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, These records include proposals and numerous Requests for Legislation (RFLs), as well as status reports on the progress of bills, records of changes and a legislative calendar. Deregulation records include ministerial orders. Other orders cover the appointment of new members on advisory boards, commissions and councils (including First Nations). The records also include position statements on issues submitted by other ministries.

Report files include presentations related to land use planning and implementation, including public review drafts for general reference purposes, and trust reports such as that of the Coast Sustainability Trust.

Other records relate to conferences and committee work done by the Ministry. This includes work with the Mining Association of British Columbia, the Union of BC Municipalities, and Land and Water BC. There are also several records from committees working with or for the Fraser Basin Council Board, the Georgia Basin Ecosystem Initiative, BC Indicator’s Networking Group, and BC Rural Team. It also includes ministerial meetings and liaisons with federal agencies.

Records are mainly summary reports, agendas, summaries of decisions and actions, progress reports, minutes, schedules, information notes, speaking notes and copies of correspondence. Belonging to this series is a number of records of informational value that were physically arranged beside or near the committee files. These concern agreements such as those with Environment Canada to develop public reports and work, and with the United States to work together on the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin International Task Force, treasury board submission guidelines and the transfer of records related to commercial back country recreation from the custody of Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management to the Ministry of Small Business and Economic Development. There are also files on conferences, seminars, and symposia, again mostly related to the work of the committees. These include First Nations engagement workshops, Corporate Sustainability conference, Living Lakes conference, Fraser Basin State of the Basin conference, Georgia Basin-Puget Sound research conference, Governance for Sustainability conference, and Union of BC Municipalities conference. These files include invitations, correspondence, terms of reference, briefs, updates, event programs, organizers and sponsors, backgrounders, participants, facilitator notes, and workshop guidelines. The series also includes a limited amount of Grant files, however many grant forms are also included in committee or conference files.

The records are arranged according to ARCS schedule 100001 and cover several primary numbers under the Administrative Records Classification System (ARCS) under the primary numbers for Administration (102), Legislation (135), Agreements (146, 150), Committees (204), Conferences, seminars symposia (220), Cooperation and Liaison (235), Information services (324), Plans and programs (400), Records management (423), General reports/statistics (440) and Treasury board submissions (1250).

The series consists of the major investigation case files of the Conservation Officer Service. These records document the major investigative work of Conservation Officers, who are Special Provincial Constables under the Police Act (RSBC 1996, c. 367) in BC. They are trained and authorized to investigate complaints and incidents and to charge offenders. The records relate to investigating and enforcing suspected cases of noncompliance with the following federal acts and related regulations, which currently fall under the Conservation Officer Service (COS) mandate: Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (SC 2001, c. 26), Criminal Code (RSC 1985, c. C-46), Fisheries Act (RSC 1985, c. F-14), Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 (SC 1994, c. 22), Species at Risk Act (SC 2002, c. 29), Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (SC 1992, c. 52) and the following provincial acts and related regulations: Creston Valley Wildlife Act (RSBC 1996, c. 84), Dike Maintenance Act (RSBC 1996, c. 95), Ecological Reserve Act (RSBC 1996, c.103), Environmental Assessment Act (SBC 2002, c. 43), Environmental Management Act (SBC 2003, c. 53), Firearm Act (RSBC 1996, c. 145), Fish Inspection Act (RSBC 1996, c. 148), Fisheries Act (RSBC 1996, c. 149), Forest Act (RSBC 1996, c. 157), Forest and Range Practices Act (SBC 2002, c. 69), Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act (RSBC 1996, c. 159), Integrated Pest Management Act (SBC 2003, c. 58), Land Act (RSBC 1996, c. 245), Liquor Control and Licensing Act (RSBC 1996, c. 267), Motor Vehicle Act (RSBC 1996, c. 318), Offence Act (RSBC 1996, c. 338), Off-Road Vehicle Act (SBC 2014, c. 5), Park Act (RSBC 1996, c. 344), Transport of Dangerous Goods Act (RSBC 1996, c. 458), Riparian Areas Protection Act (SBC 1997, c. 21), Trespass Act (RSBC 1996, c. 462), Water Protection Act (RSBC 1996, c. 484), Water Users' Communities Act (RSBC 1996, c. 483), portions of the Wildfire Act (SBC 2004, c. 31), and the Wildlife Act (RSBC 1996, c. 488). Major cases are serious in nature and address complex issues such as trafficking animal parts, big-game poaching, illegal fishing or guiding, or selling animals for human consumption that are procured illegally. These case are high profile, and may draw intense media and political attention. They include those that: are multi-jurisdictional and involve other levels of government and/or other jurisdictions; may involve elements of organized crime, and violations that fall outside the mandate of the COS; require specialized investigation techniques such as surveillance, canvassing, covert operations, and the use of Judicial Applications such as search warrants, tracking warrants, and Part 6 warrants; require the systematic collection, organization, and evaluation of large amounts of information and electronic data; and relate to serious forest crimes including arson, mischief, fraud and theft of natural resources. These records were created by the Conservation Officer Service part of the Enforcement program of the Ministry of the Environment and its predecessors, 1992-2007.

Major investigation case files are organized by case number, and for special investigations, by project name. A major case includes a variety of record types such as routing sheets, investigation documents, notes, dedicated major case notebooks, court documents (e.g., search warrants, subpoenas, arrest warrants and Crown Counsel disclosure packages, reports (e.g., final, subject, exhibit, expert, briefing, etc.), enforcement action records (e.g., tickets, warnings and orders), photographs, audio-visual records, ledgers, logs, statements, plans, approvals, correspondence, and supporting documentation)). These records are classified as major investigation cases (31010-40) under the Conservation Officer Service ORCS, 2017.

This series consists of committee files from the Environmental Stewardship Division (ESD) of the South Coast Region, 1991-2013. The records are those of Brian Clark, who worked as the Regional Manager of Fish, Wildlife & Habitat Protection, Ministry of Environment Lands and Parks; Regional Manager of the Environmental Stewardship Division, Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection; Regional Director of the Environmental Stewardship Division, Ministry of Environment; and Executive Director of the Resource Stewardship Division, Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations. Clark also acted as Chair of Burrard Inlet Environmental Action Program (BIEAP) and Chair of Fraser River Estuary Management Program (FREMP); both of these programs ended in 2013.

The records in this series document the involvement of the environmental and resource stewardship south coast regional office in several interjurisdictional environmental advisory and planning committees, working groups, and initiatives. The committees address environmental issues relating to fish and wildlife habitat, air quality, climate change, water quality, aquatic ecology, vegetation, and terrain and soils in the Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver area. The mandates and missions of the committees touch on the intergovernmental coordination of environmental issues, conserving agricultural and wildlife resources, and preventing the loss and degradation of coastal habitats.

Records include meeting minutes, correspondence, reports, studies, agreements, drafts, briefing notes, reference materials, financial records, agendas, presentations, annual reports, environmental assessment records and maps.

The series also includes a few files of legal materials from ESD, including correspondence, court records, briefing notes, reports, and records related to document discovery.

The series consists of administrative records from the Enforcement and Environmental Emergencies Branch (and later the Enforcement Program) of the Ministry of Environment and its predecessors. Specifically, these records relate to committees of the ministry which worked in collaboration with or required the input of the Enforcement Program.

Within these files are records relating to the following committees or groups: States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force, Emergency Towing System Task Force, Forest Practices Code Steering Committee, Enforcement Corporate Committee, Enforcement Training Committee, Marine Spills Coordinating Committee, Spill Reporting Committee, Poaching Committee, Bear Human Conflict Committee, Municipal Sewage Regulations Implementation Committee, Compliance Committee, Conservation Office Service Management Team, Fish Hydro Committee, Forest Tech Working Group, and the Inter-Agency Enforcement Committee. The records are valuable in that they document the ministry’s responsibilities, preparation and response to environmental emergencies and violations of ministry legislation and regulations.
A large amount of these committees were created to evaluate different programs in the ministry. For example, the purpose of the Oil Spill Task Force was to examine marine oil spill prevention, response initiations and to make recommendations. This was an international endeavor with the participation of British Columbia and the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California. The records document the progression of talks between participants on the subject.
The Corporate Committee records include their discussions regarding an Environment, Lands and Parks agenda for BC that would outline the priorities of the ministry while the Enforcement Evaluation Steering Committee records discuss how to evaluate the enforcement function ministry-wide. The committees’ records discussing administrative and prosecutorial enforcement activities aimed at protecting the environment, the public and property by encouraging compliance with ministry legislation and regulations, punishing offenders or deterring potential offenders and increasing public awareness. There are also records outlining initiatives to update training and equipment for conservation officers.
The types of records found in the series include meeting minutes, memos, news releases, correspondence, agenda, draft policy reports, risk analysis, conference papers, news clippings, proposals, presentations, studies, notes, financial estimates, reference material and publications. The following final reports are included in the records: Alternative Response Technologies - In Situ Burning and dispersants; Drills and Exercises - Recommendations to Prevent Marine Oil Spills Caused by Human Error; Oiled Wildlife Care Facilities; Dedicated Rescue Tug; Spill Reporting and Notification Alternatives in BC, among others.
The records are arranged according to ARCS Schedule 100001, primary 200 and secondary 20: Committees, General.

The series contains various records from the Integrated Management Branch of the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. The records include in-office memoranda, meeting agendas of both the Branch and its various working groups and sections, meeting minutes, schedules, inter-office memoranda, informational updates and briefs, quarterly reports, some budget information and draft position papers or reports. The records serve as evidence of the Branch’s activities and positions.

The series includes 12 photographs found intermingled with the textual records. They depict participants listening to a presentation, presumably at a branch or section meeting.

This series contains records relating to public consultation meetings for the purpose of informing the Parks Plan 90, particularly the Parks and Wilderness for the 90s initiative.

Records in this series include executive summaries of public meetings that happened all over BC. These reports contain attendance sheets, location, date, tone of the meeting, major issues, concerns, logistics, question period questions, attendance and staff recording sheets and a list of presenters from stakeholders for each meeting. These files are complemented by formal proposals, copies of presentations, reports and letters submitted by various associations, businesses, developers and the public with suggestions and/or concerns about the future of the park system in BC, particularly in terms of land use. Some proposals have photos pasted within them. Presentation materials for meetings are mainly about tourism assets in the region. Attendance sheets from meetings also contain the name and addresses of those wishing to be added to a mailing list.

The series includes a VHS tape from “Pylades Park Association”.

The records are arranged into folders by city or region, though it appears some records may have been misfiled. For example, there are files from the Campbell River meetings located in the McBride folder, and Kamloops meeting files filed in the Williams Lake folder.

The series consists of final reports summarizing wildlife attacks on humans created by the Conservation Officer Service, part of the Enforcement program of the Ministry of Environment and its predecessors under the Environmental Management Act (SBC 2003, c. 53) between 1991--2012. The final reports cover the response and related activities of the Conservation Officer Service (COS) to human-wildlife conflicts that pose a threat to public safety (e.g., wildlife attacks, repeated dangerous wildlife encounters at or near public locations, situations where dangerous wildlife has become habituated or food conditioned and now represents a risk to public safety, and livestock-large predator conflicts) in BC. COS also responds to certain cases of injured or dead wildlife (e.g., large carnivores or ungulates). The records document the investigation and outcome of wildlife attacks that threaten human safety and may result in human fatality or serious injury. They illustrate the evolution of wildlife attack investigative technique, causes of wildlife attacks, and methods used to dispatch wildlife. They may be used to inform wildlife conflict reduction strategies, policies and procedures, and educational materials developed by COS.

The records are arranged by geographic area and type of animal attack. They consist of memoranda and reports containing copies of photos, news clippings, memoranda, correspondence, case summaries, and exhibit materials. The records are classified by an internal filing code and ORCS classification 31040-14 (wildlife attack final reports) under the Conservation Officer Service ORCS (schedule 201311).

The series contains records relating to consultations conducted as part of the Land and Resource Management Planning process. These consultation case files include interactions with different agencies of the provincial government, local governments and the general public. Provincial government files mainly pertain to statements of interest from different ministries (in relation to natural resources and land use). Local government files include municipalities, regional boards and district representatives discussing their interests, concerns and how the land and resource management plans affect them (e.g. in relation to water systems, landfills, roads, park and rec programs, sewer, insect and weed control, zoning and drainage). Public consultation files consider the concerns of non-profit groups (e.g. wildlife protection groups), companies and local businesses as well as the general public.

The records include news releases and publications announcing the start of the planning process and calling for participants. The records include correspondence between public servants and others setting up meetings and open house dates. There are a number of refusal and agreement letters from prospective participants.

Throughout the files are various materials meant to inform discussions about land use and resource management. These include government reports for considerations as well as copies of legislation. There are also guideline books to help public servants with their duties and to explain the consultation process to all types of participants.

The records also include draft goals, presentations, meeting notes, status reports and reviews from those involved in the coordination of the consultation process. Finally, there are letters received from various activist groups, companies and members of the public explaining their interests in the land and resources of the region.

The records are arranged according to the Resource Management Operational Records Classification System (schedule 144100) using the following primary numbers:

17550: RMP – Land and Resource Management Plans
17730: RMP – Sustainable Resource Management Plans
And the secondary number -20 (consultation case files).

This series currently contains records from the Kamloops, Lillooet and the Okanagan-Shuswap, Cariboo Chilcotin and Kootenay tables. The records from the associated accession(s) cover all types of land use and resource planning, including landscape unit plans, sustainable resource management plans, land and resource management plans, local and regional resource use plans, and other land and/or resource use plans as they were all part of a greater land-use strategy.

This series contains approved plans, studies and terms of reference produced as part of land use planning in British Columbia, particularly Land and Resource Management Plans. The records document the initial scopes of the plan and provide the framework and ground rules to which all plans adhered. The records provide evidential and informational value in regard to scope and mandate of the plans, as well as planning teams’ participant roles, responsibilities and authority.

Types of records in this series include the actual approved plans and terms of reference from different planning regions, as well as publications of planning strategies. Records also cover specific topics such as biodiversity and timber impacts, completion studies, and project feasibility studies that would impact the planning process.

The records are arranged according to the Resource Management Operational Records Classification System (schedule 144100) using the following primary numbers:

17000: Resource Management – General
17550: RMP – Land and Resource Management Plans
17580: RMP – Landscape Unit Plans
17670: RMP – Regional Land Use Plans
17730: RMP – Sustainable Resource Management Plans
And the secondary numbers -01 (general), 02 (approved plans), 03 (terms of reference), 06 (resource management studies and information releases)

This series currently contains records from the Fort St. John, Kamloops, Lillooet and Okanagan-Shuswap LRMP tables. The records from the associated accession(s) cover all types of land use and resource planning, including landscape unit plans, sustainable resource management plans, land and resource management plans, local and regional resource use plans, and other land and/or resource use plans as they were all part of a greater land-use strategy.