Legislative Changes Would Affect Forestry, Guide Outfitters
Victoria, B.C. – Legislative amendments introduced this week will streamline the regulatory framework for the natural resource sector and help improve the stewardship of B.C.’s forests, rangeland and wildlife.
Acting on a recommendation of the Ranching Task Force to improve regulatory processes for range tenure holders, proposed amendments to the Range Act will:
- streamline the process for approving agreements (permits and licences), so that vacant Crown range can be allocated more quickly and efficiently
- improve business certainty for range operators by allowing longer terms on tenures and conversion of grazing permits issued prior to 2004 to grazing licences
- allow a holder of multiple tenures to more easily consolidate or subdivide those tenures and enable the conversion of grazing leases to grazing licences.
- remove the requirement for operators to obtain ministry approval before selling excess hay production
Proposed amendments to the Wildlife Act will provide additional business certainty for the guide outfitting industry by:
- allowing corporations as well as individuals to hold guiding territory certificates, making guide certificate ownership less risky by reducing liability among co-owners and increasing opportunities for individuals to come together to purchase territories
- replacing the licensing requirement for assistant guides with an authorization issued by the employing guide outfitter, giving guide outfitters more flexibility to hire help in unexpected peak periods
Proposed amendments to the Land Title Act clarify the ownership of subdivided land underwater when it is next to Crown land.
Proposed amendments to the Forest Act include:
- streamlining administrative processes by transferring decision-making authority from cabinet to the minister on most wood residue export applications (wood residue includes wood chips, slabs, edgings, sawdust and shavings, and is mostly used in pulp and paper and bioenergy)
- allowing people to collect firewood from woodlots and community forests, if they have received the proper permission
- clarifying provisions related to collecting annual rent, bonus bids and putting specific conditions on forest licences
Proposed amendments to the Wildfire Act make it clear that the provincial government should not be held legally accountable for unavoidable property damage or losses caused by wildfire, so long as it did not act in bad faith while working to control or suppress those fires. This change is expected to save the provincial government $700,000 to $1.3 million annually in legal costs.
Comments
“â¢allowing corporations as well as individuals to hold guiding territory certificates, making guide certificate ownership less risky by reducing liability among co-owners and increasing opportunities for individuals to come together to purchase territories” .. this is not a good idea. Its bad enough now with the current system which has most guides thinking they own the land and no one should be hunting out there unless guided, whether resident or not. To allow corporations to be able to essentially own guiding territories is the first step to having our outdoors controlled by huge corporations.
“â¢allowing people to collect firewood from woodlots and community forests, if they have received the proper permission” .. huh? We are going to need permission to go get firewood on crownland? Another step towards setting our forests up to be privately controlled and owned.
What a joke! Must be nice living in a the Victoria bubble. This is the problem with the way things get run. Someone 1000 km away dictates how we should live in the north. Of course we are like cattle ” grass go’s in grass comes out”. Not much else happening.
I have been a hunter for 45 yrs, I have chosen not to hunt for the past 10 yrs mainly because it has sickened me to see how depleted our natural resource has become. Things need to change, unfortunately for us hunting is big revenue for the government and all they see is a chance for easy $$$$ with no over head cost to them.
Hunting needs to be drastically curtailed on species like moose throughout the enter province of B.C. for at least 5yrs so the animals have a chance to replenish them selves before it is to late. I would love the opportunity to hunt with my children and grandchildren as my father did with us unfortunately it feel that’s living a dream.
Proposed amendments to the Wildlife Act will provide additional business certainty for the guide outfitting industry by:
allowing corporations as well as individuals to hold guiding territory certificates, making guide certificate ownership less risky by reducing liability among co-owners and increasing opportunities for individuals to come together to purchase territories
replacing the licensing requirement for assistant guides with an authorization issued by the employing guide outfitter, giving guide outfitters more flexibility to hire help in unexpected peak periods
I agree with “Huh”,I have been privileged to experience several fly in hunting trips only to feel UN-welcomed by American owned guide outfitters in our own back yards of B.C. this was 14 yrs. ago, I was taunted by outfitters working for them. What was supposed to be a relaxing hunting vacation with friends started to feel like a reenactment of Nam.
You have always needed permission to gather firewood on crown land.
“allowing corporations as well as individuals to hold guiding territory certificates…”
I am with some of the others commenting on this story, corporations should not be allowed to hold guiding territory certificates. But why should anyone be surprised, when we allow corporations and business to run our government?
Do you even have a clue what you are talking about, People#1? Wait, I already know the answer.
Clue us clueless people in “JohnnyBelt”
“Corporations are not people. People have hearts, they have kids, they get jobs, they get sick, they cry, they dance. They live, they love and they die. And that matters. That matters because we donât run this country for corporations, we run it for people.”â Elizabeth Warren, September 2012.
I guess some of us still think being human matters… “Just Johnny”! It’s in my moniker ;-)
“I agree with “Huh”,I have been privileged to experience several fly in hunting trips only to feel UN-welcomed by American owned guide outfitters in our own back yards of B.C. this was 14 yrs. ago, I was taunted by outfitters working for them. What was supposed to be a relaxing hunting vacation with friends started to feel like a reenactment of Nam”
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The same thing goes for the many foreign land owners in the Peace region. You go looking for permission to hunt and get the old “Ya’ll can’t hunt or trespass here”!
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