Bureau Overview
Purpose of the Bureau
The Integrated Land Management Bureau provides a range of services to the public and to other government agencies involved in utilizing and managing Crown land and natural resources. 2 The bureau assists businesses and individuals by: coordinating access to tenures, permits, licences, Crown land sales and grants; developing, implementing and revising land use plans; managing and providing resource information; and prioritizing and coordinating recovery planning for broad-ranging species-at-risk.
The bureau’s role needs to be viewed in the context of two characteristics of lands and natural resources in British Columbia. Firstly, these lands and resources are major or sole contributors to the economic, social and environmental health of the province. 3 Secondly, 94 per cent of the province’s land area is publicly owned, and its use and management is intertwined with the province’s economy, history and social fabric.
In providing its services, the bureau plays a key role in improving access to these Crown lands and other natural resources in a way that furthers government’s commitment to a strong economy, vibrant communities, environmental stewardship and the development of strong, mutually supportive relationships with First Nations.
The bureau’s services to the public are provided on behalf of numerous provincial ministries, five of which oversee the work of the bureau as an advisory board. 4 The bureau also provides corporate leadership and coordination on behalf of government regarding the sustainable use and management of natural resources. Established in 2005, the bureau is hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. 5 The bureau’s new FrontCounter BC service expands the range of natural resource authorizations handled by the former Land and Water BC 6 and integrates land use planning and the provision and analysis of land and resource information formerly delivered by the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management. This consolidation of services at the regional level, part of a government-wide initiative to streamline service delivery, will improve effectiveness and efficiency by providing a “one-stop shop” for people and businesses requiring access to provincial natural resources. FrontCounter BC assists these clients and provides a single-window access point for about 80 different types of authorization applications concerning natural resources on behalf of the ministries and other agencies it serves. 7
| 2 | Clients range from those seeking access for business, community, recreational or other reasons to those interested in the effective environmental stewardship of land and resources. |
| 3 | The work of the bureau helps provide access to natural resources for six important sectors of our economy, which directly account for about 13 per cent of the province’s GDP — forestry; tourism; mining; oil, gas and energy extraction; and agriculture and aquaculture. When secondary benefits to a range of sectors are included, the figure rises to 36 per cent of the GDP (2004 GDP figures at 1997 prices — Source: BC Stats). 41 per cent of communities outside of Greater Vancouver are dependant on natural resources for more than 30 per cent of their income. Source: BC Stats. B.C. is Canada’s most biologically diverse province and is home to more than half of the wildlife and fish species living in the country. Source: B.C. Ministry of Forests and Range. For further comments and the detailed sources of these figures see http://ilmbwww.gov.bc.ca/ilmb/sp2006/ilmb_impact.html. |
| 4 | The five ministries are: Agriculture and Lands; Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources; Environment; Forests and Range; and Tourism, Sport and the Arts. The bureau also provides services on behalf of a number of other ministries and agencies, such as the Ministries of Transportation, Economic Development, and Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation. |
| 5 | The bureau is formally accountable in financial and performance terms to the Minister of Agriculture and Lands through the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands but operates relatively independently of the ministry. |
| 6 | Land and Water BC’s services were limited to Crown land and water use authorizations. The bureau helps coordinate applications and authorizations concerning use of other resources, including forests, minerals and energy, on behalf of the clients described in footnote 2. |
| 7 | These ministries then review and make decisions on the applications. The bureau tracks the progress of applications and communicates the results to the client. In the case of applications for new and replacement land tenures under the Land Act, the bureau also adjudicates these applications on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. |
Vision, Mission and Values
Vision
Resource planning and information, Crown land and FrontCounter BC services that are client focused, timely, coordinated, efficient, leading edge and transparent.
Mission
To create natural resource opportunities for British Columbians through the integrated delivery of natural resource authorizations, Crown land administration, planning and natural resource information services.
Values
| Value | What it Means1 |
|---|---|
| Client-centred Service | Providing responsive, timely, courteous, readily accessible and knowledgeable client services. |
| Integrity | Conducting business with our clients and colleagues in a manner that is consistent, professional, fair, transparent, balanced, honest and respectful. |
| Innovation | Continuously seeking and adopting better ways to provide government services for the benefit of British Columbians.
Taking managed risks, adapting, learning and growing to deliver services and achieve planned results. |
| Accountability | Enhancing the efficiency, effectiveness and credibility of government by taking responsibility for measuring and monitoring our performance against commitments and targets, and communicating the results. |
| 1 | It is important for the bureau to demonstrate these values in an observable, measureable way supported by bureau management. Bureau staff will be engaged in identifying these activities during 2006/07. |
