It's official ....................


Quote
Natural Resource Ministries (NRS) Administrative Boundaries Re-alignment


To help improve business delivery, a new set of administrative boundaries for the province�s five natural resource ministries have been endorsed.

Background
Currently, the provincial natural resource agencies operate under a complex system with more than 11 administrative units. The lack of common boundaries creates unnecessary administrative work for clients who work on initiatives that involve more than one agency. The lack of common administrative boundaries has also been identified as a barrier to effective cross-agency coordination. The five natural resource agencies include: Agriculture and Lands; Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources; Environment; Forests and Range; and the Integrated Land Management Bureau.

The new network of three regional and seven sub-regional boundaries is more logically configured around watersheds, First Nations territories, existing government infrastructure and proximity to government services. The more efficient approach will:
� Allow for better co-ordination on multi-agency projects;
� Allow for better co-ordination of consultation requirements with First Nations;
� Enable efficiencies for corporate and administrative support services;
� Simplify information management; and
� Be easier for stakeholders to access government services.

All natural resource agencies are expected to transition to the new boundaries by March 31, 2010. During the transition, stakeholders and clients should not experience service disruptions. In many cases, clients involved in a project that requires the participation of more than one agency should start to find that response times improve due to the more effective cross agency coordination.

However, the Ministry of Forests and Range�s North-Coast Forest District will transition to the new boundaries over a longer period due to legislative constraints. While this area will be managed by the natural resource sector as part of the Skeena sub-region, for forestry purposes the North Coast Forest District will legally remain in the Coast Region. This is due to the need for continued compatibility with current legal requirements, such as those within forestry legislation, decision-making delegations, timber pricing/appraisals, and the Softwood Lumber Agreement.


For more information:

If you have any questions, please don�t hesitate to contact your local sub-regional management committee chair:
� Haida Gwaii/West Coast: Paul Knowles, (250) 731-3033
� South Coast: Brian Hawrys, (604) 485-0707
� Cariboo-Thompson-Okanagan (See below)
o Thompson-Okanagan Andy Oetter, (250) 828-4413
o Cariboo Ken Vanderburgh, (250) 398-4225
� Kootenay-Boundary: Tony Wideski, (250) 426-1702
� Omineca: Lynda Currie, (250) 996-5241
� Skeena: Tom Bell, (250) 847-7321
� Peace (Northeast): Dale Morgan, (250) 784-1200


[Linked Image]