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This series contains correspondence, charts, plan map and report relating to the creation and staffing of the Cariboo Forest District. Types of records include a floor plan of Williams Lake headquarters, (1969), a report on the re-establishment of the Cariboo Forest District (1970), and field organization charts (1975-1979).

This series consists of range management records created by the Quesnel Forest district in the Cariboo Forest Region, and its predecessors, from 1927-2002. This series may contain records created by the Prince George (also known as Fort George), Kamloops, Cariboo and Williams Lake Forest Districts and/or Grazing Districts. Note that the names and boundaries of districts and regions varied over the years. All files were managed by the Quesnel Forest District when the files were closed in or before 2006.

Records relate to the administration of Grazing Licences and Grazing Permits as defined under the Range Act, and Grazing Leases as defined under the Land Act. This includes their issuance, amendment, transfer, billing, monitoring, policy, and administration. This may include records concerning additions and deletions of land and/or authorized Animal Unit Months (AUM) from grazing tenures.

The series also includes individual range unit files which relate to the management of larger range units. These are areas of range land that may be shared by multiple tenure holders. This includes operational records such as range unit plans, inspections covering more than one range tenure, and general information concerning the history of the management of specific range units.

Records in this series include tenure application forms, grazing plans, range use plans, correspondence, maps, photos, surveys, reports, records determining range boundaries and use, and information on range improvements and clearing. Improvements can include infrastructure such as fences, gates and improving access to water sources for livestock.

Each file relates to a particular range tenure. Note that there may be additional individuals or companies who held the tenure over time which are not listed in the file title. Files within each box are arranged alphabetically by file title.

The ministries responsible for the Forest and Range Districts, and the years that they were responsible, are:
Dept. of Lands (1908-1945)
Dept. of Lands and Forests (1945-1962)
Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources (1962-1975)
Dept. of Forests (1975-1976)
Ministry of Forests (1976-1986)
Ministry of Forests and Lands (1986-1988)
Ministry of Forests (1988-2005)

This series is classified under ORCS number 15700-20 and 15720-20 of the Ministry of Forests schedule (881261).

This series consists of various administrative and operational records created by the Cariboo Forest District and its predecessors from 1923-1978. The records are arranged by the following categories of subject matter:

General records. This includes a variety of administrative and operational records, including: meeting minutes, meeting agendas, correspondence, annual reports and other reports. Records relate to topics such as: unit organization, research, engineering and recreation projects, Royal Commission on Forest Resources, pesticides, herbicides, resource management, provincial forests, and forest fires.

Grazing and range management records. This includes: grazing district annual reports, range readiness, range improvement, horse control, leasing inquiries, hay permits, and grazing permits.

Timber tenure records. This includes: PSYU (public sustained yield unit) records, engineering and recreation projects, TSLs (timber sale licences, including "X" files and "A" files), TSHL (timber sale harvesting licenses), LC (licences to cut), and Christmas tree permits.

This series consists of Correspondence files of the Cariboo District Forester relating to timber sales, 1917-1933. Includes logging inspection reports, timber sale reports, status inquiries, surveys, and sale contracts.

This series contains a time book for wages and hours for Improvement Project 8, Mount Begbie Lookout.

This series contains the Commissioner of Grazing's file carbon copies of free grazing permits issued in the Vernon and Cariboo Grazing Districts as well as a letter transmitting grazing fees (form) from the Kamloops Grazing District. The boundaries of grazing districts coincide with those of the forest districts of the same name.

This series contains an 8 page typescript of a keynote address to the District Fire Control Course at Williams Lake on April 24, 1972 given by W.E.L. Young, District Forester.

The series consists of scale and royalty invoices created by the Forest Branch and its successor the Forest Service between 1912 and 1975. Depending upon the district, these records are either duplicate or triplicate copies. For some districts, invoices were to be paid at the Victoria Office, for others at the appropriate district office.

The records are arranged by forest district, and then numerically by account number. Records are available for the following forest districts: Vancouver, January 1913 to August 1976; Cariboo, September 1972 to November 1974, Nelson, April 1925 to February 1975, Williams Lake (also known as Cariboo), January 1913 to January 1932; Kamloops, February 1913 to March 1975; Vernon, February 1913 to March 1925; Cranbrook, October 1912 to March 1925; Prince Rupert, April 1913 to October 1974; and Prince George, March 1914 to June 1952. Account numbers are assigned chronologically within each forest district. However, when numbers became too large and unwieldy the account numbers were started over again at one.

The province collects royalties on all logs cut in the province. Over time the royalties owing have been calculated in different ways. Prior to 1894, each licensee or leasee provided a monthly written account to government of the number of trees cut on a particular property. This count was referred to as "stumpage" and fees were based on the numbers remitted. In 1894, the enactment of the Official Scaler's Act (SBC 1894, c. 35) resulted in the appointment of official scalers. Scalers followed scaling rules to measure the volume of logs cut and were usually employed by the provincial government. Scalers also determined the species and quality, or grade, of the logs. This information was then used to determine royalties owing to government.

Three scales were accepted for use in the province: British Columbia Board Foot Log Scale (BCFBM), Scribner's Decimal C and Doyle Log Rules. In 1915, only the British Columbia Board Foot Log Scale as accepted (Timber Royalty Act, SBC 1914, c. 76, s. 17). This scale estimated the amount of lumber that could be produced from a log, in board feet. The Forest Act (SBC, 1912 c. 17) provides the legal authority for the government's administration of scaling and requires that all logs be scaled before manufacture or shipment. The act is also used as the authority to determine which is the accepted scale. In 1946, the British Columbia Cubic Scale was introduced. This scale measured the volume of the log in cubic feet that might be ~suitable~ for the manufacture of lumber. In 1952, all measurements had to be done using the cubic scale.

A significant change occurred in 1965 when the BC Firmwood Scale Cubic Scale was adopted. This scale measured the net firmwood content of the log and was unrelated to its use for lumber. The purpose of this scale was to serve the government's requirements to assess fees and track the volume of harvests for statistical use and planning. By 1972, all other scales were discontinued. In 1978, a metric cubic scale replaced the imperial cubic scale. There are two primary methods of scaling used in the Province: piece scale and weight scale. Piece scale involves the measurement of each log harvested. This method is normally used in coastal areas where the logs are larger and not uniform in size. Weight scale is a sampling method where selected loads of logs over a period of time are piece scaled and this data is then used to estimate the volume of all other weighed loads. This method is used primarily in the interior of the Province and was introduced in 1963. It is used primarily for large volumes of smaller logs that are uniform in size. Other scaling methods may be used for small volumes of special products, for example, Christmas trees or fence posts.

This series consists of silviculture records from the Cariboo Forest Region and its predecessors, 1950-2005. The region has included a variety of different forest districts over time. Records may regard the following Forest Districts: Williams Lake, Horsefly, Chilcotin, Likely, Cariboo and 100 Mile House. Note that the names and boundaries of districts and regions varied over the years.

The Ministry of Forests defines silviculture as “the art and science of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests and woodlands to meet the diverse needs and values of landowners and society on a sustainable basis.”

Most files consist of silviculture opening records which document the historical silviculture treatment work that has been undertaken on specific areas of land that are referred to as openings. These files regard changes in the forest cover, changes in prescriptions, cut boundaries, changes in site prescriptions and records involving impacts on silvicultural treatments. Files may contain a wide variety of record formats including textual records, photographs and maps. The textual records include computer printouts, photocopies, cards, reports and correspondence.

Most files are quite small. They usually consist of a map of the area and a computer printout titled the History of Crop Establishment and Tending which provides a history of use and information regarding prescriptions, site preparations, reforestation and stand tending.

There are also larger files that contain a variety of other documents. These include prescription documents, which provide the management plan for the area; stand tending cards and reports, which show completed forest treatments; traverse sheets, which provide location information; pruning examination cards and printouts; planting reports; final harvesting reports; site plans; site preparation reports; and logging inspection reports.

Opening files are arranged in several numerically ordered groups by a classification number. The first six digits (ex. 93A 001) corresponds with the National Topographic System location codes and the last three digits consist of a sequential number applied to each file. File titles may also include the related forest tenure number or other information for that parcel of land.

Silviculture audit and assessment files regard the audits and assessments made by the Ministry to ensure silviculture is carried out in accordance with the regulations and approved silviculture prescriptions as detailed in the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act. Audits include records concerning a formal examination of the approved silviculture prescription document and the related area to evaluate whether or not there has been compliance with the regulations, the silviculture prescriptions are suitable to attain the objective stated therein, and there is acceptable progress towards achievement of silviculture objectives stated in the approved silviculture prescription. Silviculture prescription audits are carried out on areas under both major licences and areas under the Small Business Forest Enterprise Program (SBFEP) with approved silviculture prescriptions. Types of audits and assessments included are pre-approval assessments and post-approval audits. Records can include correspondence, inspection forms, reports, and compliance reports for soil conservation, regeneration, and free growing obligations.

The series also includes: a procedure file on nursery stock storage and transport; one woodlot licence file; one file on protected areas strategy old growth considerations; and four files on local resource planning including correspondence, meeting minutes and final copies of coordinated access plans for Bonaparte, Kluskus, Spruce Lake and Chilko Lake.

Ministries responsible for the creation of this series, and their dates of the responsibility, are:

Dept. of Lands and Forests 1945-1962
Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources 1962-1975
Dept. of Forests 1975-1976
Ministry of Forests 1976-1986
Ministry of Forests and Lands 1986-1988
Ministry of Forests 1988-2005

Classified as 18750-20, 18765-20, 18390-02 and 12605-20 in the Forests Operational Records Classification System (ORCS).

This series consists of annual reports created by several Forest Districts and Regions of the Ministry of Forests and its predecessors from 1975-1979. Records are included from the following Forest Regions and Districts: Cariboo, Kamloops, Nelson, Prince George, Prince Rupert, and Vancouver.

The records summarize the annual work conducted by each branch of the office. Subjects include: fire preparedness, protection, pest management, range use and administration, reforestation, silviculture, management of Crown land, valuation, research projects, recreation resources, natural resource management, engineering, staff training and timber tenures. Some reports include maps, charts and statistics. There is also a 1964 public working circles procedure manual.