Forest and Environment News:

Forest Appeals Commission – �Quick Bits� now provides links to Commission, Board and selected Supreme Court decisions, as well as appeal information. Log in to Quickscribe, click on �Quick Bits� then on FORESTRY INFO on the left menu.

Wildfire Act streamlines regulations, improves response – The Wildfire Act, approved by government to be brought into force on March 31, will provide an improved set of fire management policies, streamline regulation and improve accountability by forest users. Quickscribe has made available a preview of the act for your information. (Note that this is not the final version.)

Softwood lumber trade update – The BC Lumber Trade Council recently announced: Prime Minister must take action in the softwood lumber dispute.

Emergency bark beetle management area expanded – The Emergency Bark Beetle Management Area has been updated to enable government to aggressively address B.C.�s mountain pine beetle epidemic in expanded outbreak areas. For more info, read the information bulletin. The Emergency Bark Beetle Management Area has now been expanded to include:

• The Skeena-Stikine, Headwaters, Arrow-Boundary, Kootenay Lake and Cascades forest districts.
• The southern portion of the Chilcotin Forest District.
• The northern extents of the Mackenzie and Fort St. James forest districts.
• The upper half of the Peace Forest District.

Labour and Company News:

Labour Bulletin – Click here for Staples McDannold Stewart's Labour Bulletin with the article "Employee's Right to Silence is Limited" .

Local Government News:

Cancellation of right of resumption on municipal highways – The Minister of Transportation recently amended the regulation which provides for the cancellation of the provincial right of resumption in certain circumstances on land that was a municipal highway. If the land meets the circumstances specified in the regulation, the right of resumption is now cancelled when the municipality files in the land title office a statement to that effect, certified by the corporate officer. This change should address confusion that some municipalities encountered in seeking to apply the previous wording of the regulation in the land title system. For further information about the amendment, go to Highway Closure and Removal of Highway Dedication

Safe Streets Act now in force – The Safe Streets Act and amended Trespass Act have been brought into force and are now enforceable. For more info please go to: Enforcement Helps Build Community Safety.

Labour Bulletin – Click here for Staples McDannold Stewart's Labour Bulletin with the article "Employee's Right to Silence is Limited" .

Motor Vehicle News:

Intelligent Transportation Systems – Further to last month's Reporter news on " Intelligent Transportation Systems Projects Funded," the governments of Canada and British Columbia have issued the joint release: Governments Of Canada And British Columbia To Fund Intelligent Transportation Systems.