BILL 65 – 2004
FORESTS STATUTES AMENDMENT ACT (No. 2), 2004

HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:

 
Forest Act

1 The Forest Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 157, is amended by adding the following section:

Mountain pine beetle salvage area

14.1 (1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council, by regulation, may

(a) designate Crown land infested by mountain pine beetles as a mountain pine beetle salvage area for a prescribed period, and

(b) repeal or amend a regulation under paragraph (a).

(2) A forest licence that includes all or part of a mountain pine beetle salvage area, in addition to setting out the matters described in section 14, may

(a) require any type of security, including but not limited to money, to be provided and maintained by the holder of the forest licence to ensure

(i) within a specified period or according to a required schedule of construction, or both, the construction or expansion of a timber processing facility that conforms to specified requirements, and

(ii) the reforestation of areas described in the licence by reference to one or more of geographic location, type of timber and type of terrain,

(A) at a rate of reforestation, and

(B) over a period

specified in the licence,

(b) specify one or more of the following:

(i) the type of security that is acceptable or unacceptable;

(ii) the form and content of the security;

(iii) the circumstances under which the security may be realized;

(iv) respecting the distribution of the realized security,

(c) provide that its holder may not harvest under the licence until the timber processing facility has been substantially completed to the satisfaction of the minister,

(d) require timber harvesting under the licence to be restricted to only a portion of a timber supply area, and

(e) include other terms and conditions that the minister considers are necessary or desirable in relation to mountain pine beetle infestation in the mountain pine beetle salvage area.

(3) If a forest licence referred to in subsection (2)

(a) requires security to be provided and maintained, as described in paragraph (a) of that subsection, and

(b) the holder of the licence has provided the security,

the minister by notice served on the holder may cancel the licence in the circumstances specified under paragraph (b) (iii) of that subsection.

2 Section 24.5 (1) is amended by striking out "regional manager" in both places and substituting "regional manager or district manager".

3 Section 24.7 is amended

(a) in subsection (2) by striking out "district manager" wherever it appears and substituting "regional manager or district manager", and

(b) by repealing subsection (3) and substituting the following:

(3) The regional manager or district manager must not enter into a woodlot licence under this section unless

(a) the holder of the pre-existing licence meets the criteria specified in section 44 (5) and (6) (b) and either section 44 (6) (a) or 46.1, as applicable,

(b) the regional manager or district manager is satisfied that the holder of the pre-existing licence is qualified to manage the proposed woodlot licence area,

(c) a management plan has been prepared by the holder of the pre-existing licence for the proposed woodlot licence area and approved by the regional manager or district manager or the designate of the regional manager or district manager, and

(d) the holder surrenders the pre-existing licence.

4 Section 24.8 (2) (d) is repealed and the following substituted:

(d) has a term of 5 years beginning on the date the forestry licence to cut is entered into, .

5 Section 39 (7) is amended by striking out "paragraph (b)" in both places and substituting "paragraph (c)".

6 The following Division is added to Part 3:

Division 8.3 -- Disposition of Timber Acquired
under Forestry Revitalization Act

Disposition of timber in a tree farm licence

47.8 The minister may make available for disposition under

(a) Divisions 2 and 3 of Part 3,

(b) section 47.3 under a forest licence or forestry licence to cut, or

(c) section 47.6 (2),

to persons other than the holder of a tree farm licence for all or part of a tree farm licence area, portions of the allowable annual cut that is the subject of

(d) a reduction in allowable annual cut under section 2 (3) of the Forestry Revitalization Act, and

(e) an attribution made under section 3 (2) of that Act by an order of the minister.

7 Section 80.2 (1) is amended by repealing the definitions of "group licence interim period", "minister's order" and "timber licence interim period" and substituting the following:

"group licence interim period", in relation to a licence in a group of licences which licence is specified in a minister's order, means,

(a) if there is only one reduction in allowable annual cut for that licence under the minister's order, the period beginning on March 31, 2003 and ending on

(i) the date when the minister's order is made for the licence, if no subsequent date is specified in the minister's order in relation to that reduction and for the purposes of section 3 (5.1) of the Forestry Revitalization Act, or

(ii) the subsequent date, if one is specified in the minister's order, in relation to that reduction and for the purposes of section 3 (5.1) of the Forestry Revitalization Act, or

(b) if there are a series of reductions in allowable annual cut for that licence under the minister's order,

(i) for the first in the series of reductions, the period beginning on March 31, 2003 and ending on

(A) the date when the minister's order is made for that first reduction, if no subsequent date is specified in the minister's order, in relation to that first reduction and for the purposes of section 3 (5.1) of the Forestry Revitalization Act, or

(B) the subsequent date, if one is specified in the minister's order, in relation to that first reduction and for the purposes of section 3 (5.1) of the Forestry Revitalization Act, and

(ii) for the further reduction in the series of reductions, the period beginning at the end of the period for the immediately preceding reduction and ending on

(A) the date when the minister's order is made for that further reduction, if no subsequent date is specified in the minister's order, in relation to that further reduction and for the purposes of section 3 (5.1) of the Forestry Revitalization Act, or

(B) the subsequent date, if one is specified in the minister's order, in relation to that further reduction and for the purposes of section 3 (5.1) of the Forestry Revitalization Act;

"minister's order" means an order made under section 3 of the Forestry Revitalization Act;

"timber licence interim period", in relation to a timber licence specified in a minister's order, means

(a) if there is only one reduction in area for that licence under the minister's order, the period beginning on March 31, 2003 and ending on

(i) the date when the minister's order is made for the licence, if no subsequent date is specified in the minister's order in relation to that reduction and for the purposes of section 3 (5.1) of the Forestry Revitalization Act, or

(ii) the subsequent date, if one is specified in the minister's order, in relation to that reduction and for the purposes of section 3 (5.1) of the Forestry Revitalization Act, or

(b) if there are a series of reductions in area for that licence under the minister's order,

(i) for the first in the series of reductions, the period beginning on March 31, 2003 and ending on

(A) the date when the minister's order is made for that first reduction, if no subsequent date is specified in the minister's order, in relation to that first reduction and for the purposes of section 3 (5.1) of the Forestry Revitalization Act, or

(B) the subsequent date, if one is specified in the minister's order, in relation to that first reduction and for the purposes of section 3 (5.1) of the Forestry Revitalization Act, and

(ii) for a further reduction in the series of reductions, the period beginning at the end of the period for the immediately preceding reduction and ending on

(A) the date when the minister's order is made for that further reduction, if no subsequent date is specified in the minister's order, in relation to that further reduction and for the purposes of section 3 (5.1) of the Forestry Revitalization Act, or

(B) the subsequent date, if one is specified in the minister's order, in relation to that further reduction and for the purposes of section 3 (5.1) of the Forestry Revitalization Act; .

8 Section 105.2 (1) is repealed and the following substituted:

(1) If, in the opinion of an official designated by the minister, a stumpage rate, whether still in effect or expired, is or was in error because it was determined, redetermined or varied under section 105 (1) based on

(a) inaccurate information, or

(b) information generated using inaccurate information

that was submitted by or on behalf of the holder of an agreement referred to in that section, the official may direct that the stumpage rate be redetermined under that section

(c) taking new information into account only to the extent necessary to correct the error, and

(d) in accordance with the minister's policies and procedures that were in effect at the time of the determination, redetermination or variation of the stumpage rate.

9 The following section is added:

Small scale salvage costs portion to be paid into special account

105.3 All revenue derived from the small scale salvage costs portion, if any, of a stumpage rate imposed in accordance with the policies and procedures referred to in section 105 (1) (c) must be paid into the Small Scale Salvage Sub-account of the Forest Stand Management Fund special account established by the Special Accounts Appropriation and Control Act.

10 Section 151 (1.1) is amended by adding the following paragraph:

(d) adopt the provisions of a publication or adopt them as they are amended from time to time.

 
Forest and Range Practices Act

11 Section 16 (2.1) of the Forest and Range Practices Act, S.B.C. 2002, c. 69, as amended by the Forests Statutes Amendment Act, 2004, S.B.C. 2004, c. 36, is amended by striking out "may may require" and substituting "may require".

12 Section 54 (2) is repealed and the following substituted:

(2) If the minister determines under section 71 that a person has contravened subsection (1), the minister may order the person to do one or more of the following:

(a) remove the building or other structure;

(b) destroy the building or other structure;

(c) restore the land under the building or other structure.

13 Section 87 (3) (b) is repealed and the following substituted:

(b) does not comply with an order under section 16 (5), 26 (6), 27 (2), 51 (7) or (8), 54 (2), 57 (4), 58 (1), 66 (1), 74 (1), 77 (1) or (2) or 77.1 (1) or (2), .

 
Forestry Revitalization Act

14 The Forestry Revitalization Act, S.B.C. 2003, c. 17, is amended by adding the following section:

Tree farm licence -- allowable annual cut defined

1.1 For the purposes of sections 2 (3) and 3 (3), "allowable annual cut" in relation to a tree farm licence in a group of licences means the allowable annual cut available to its holder.

15 Section 3 is amended

(a) in subsections (1), and (2) by striking out "By order in writing," and substituting "By one or more orders in writing,",

(b) by repealing subsections (1.1) and (4) and substituting the following:

(1.1) By one or more orders in writing, the minister must specify, for each of the timber licences referred to in subsection (1), the part of the area of Crown land described in the timber licence that

(a) remains after

(i) the reduction made by section 2 (2), and

(ii) the attribution under subsection (1), or

(b) is deleted from the timber licence as a result of the reduction and attribution.

(4) By one or more orders in writing, the minister may specify, for each tree farm licence in a group of licences, the area of Crown land in the tree farm licence area that

(a) remains after the reduction made by subsection (3), or

(b) is deleted from the tree farm licence area as a result of the reduction. , and

(c) by repealing subsection (5) and substituting the following:

(5) A minister's order under this section

(a) may be made or amended on any date in the 3 years after March 31, 2003,

(b) may differ for different timber, places or transactions or for different licences or timber licences, and

(c) may specify a date for subsection (5.1) that is subsequent to the date the order is made.

(5.1) On

(a) the date when a minister's order under this section is made, if no subsequent date is specified for this subsection under subsection (5) (c), or

(b) the subsequent date, if one is specified for this subsection under subsection (5) (c),

the minister's order

(c) is deemed to have come into force on March 31, 2003, and

(d) is retroactive to the extent necessary to give it effect on and after March 31, 2003.

16 Section 5 is amended

(a) in subsection (2) by striking out "to reflect the minister's order under section 3 (1)." and substituting "to reflect the minister's orders under section 3 (1) and (1.1).", and

(b) in subsection (3) by striking out "to reflect the minister's orders under section 3 (3) and (4)." and substituting "to reflect the minister's orders under section 3 (2) and (4)."

 
Forests Statutes Amendment Act, 2004

17 Section 102 (a) of the Forests Statutes Amendment Act, 2004, S.B.C. 2004, c. 36, is repealed.

 
Protected Areas Forests Compensation Act

18 Section 3 of the Protected Areas Forests Compensation Act, S.B.C. 2002, c. 51, is amended by renumbering the section as section 3 (1) and by adding the following subsections:

(2) If doubt exists as to whether and to what extent, if any, an allowable cut reduction for a tree farm licence was or is attributable to the deletion of land referred to in subsection (1), the chief forester may issue a written statement resolving the doubt.

(3) A written statement under subsection (2) is conclusive for the purposes of subsection (1).

 
Special Accounts Appropriation and Control Act

19 Section 5 of the Special Accounts Appropriation and Control Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 436, is amended

(a) in subsection (1) by striking out "and" at the end of paragraph (a), by adding "and" at the end of paragraph (b) and by adding the following paragraph:

(c) under section 105.3 of the Forest Act and earnings calculated and attributable to those amounts form a sub-account, called the Small Scale Salvage Sub-account. , and

(b) in subsection (2) by striking out "and" at the end of paragraph (a), by adding "and" at the end of paragraph (b) (v) and by adding the following paragraph:

(c) the Small Scale Salvage Sub-account

(i) for a purpose related to the establishment of a free growing stand under the Forest and Range Practices Act, in respect of agreements under the Forest Act for which the rate of stumpage imposed includes a portion for small scale salvage costs,

(ii) for expenses directly or indirectly related to that purpose, and

(iii) to defray costs of administration and development in respect of the agreements referred to in subparagraph (i).

 
Wildfire Act

20 Section 84 of the Wildfire Act, S.B.C. 2004, c. 31, is repealed and the following substituted:

84 Section 54.6 (1) (c) (ii) is repealed and the following substituted:

(ii) imposed with respect to the agreement by or under

(A) this Act or the regulations under this Act,

(B) the Forest and Range Practices Act or the regulations or standards under that Act, or

(C) the Wildfire Act.

21 Section 85 is repealed and the following substituted:

85 Section 78 (2) (c) is repealed and the following substituted:

(c) has not complied with

(i) this Act or a regulation made under this Act,

(ii) the Forest and Range Practices Act or a regulation or standard made under that Act, or

(iii) the Wildfire Act or a regulation under that Act.

22 Section 89 as it re-enacts section 74 of the Forest and Range Practices Act is amended by repealing subsection (1) and substituting the following: