Vol. 2, No.3 A newsletter for Ministry of Forests' employees September 1992

One of our worst fire seasonsever but crew training pays offAs predicted, the 1992 fire season hasturned out to be extremely busy.

Throughout the summer, severalmajor lightning storms have caused aphenomenal number of fire starts,particularly in the Kamloops, PrinceGeorge, and Cariboo forest regions, andour crews have successfully met eachand every challenge.

As of September 8, 3,534 fires wererecorded. At the current rate, thisseason may surpass the total number offires recorded in 1985 (3,608) -- whatmany consider to be one of our worstfire seasons.

If 1985 totals are surpassed, then thiswould make 1992 the third worst fireseason ever in terms of the total numberof fires recorded. The two worst yearswere 1979, with 3,849 fires recorded,and 1970, with 4,002 fires.

In 1992, 2,341 fires have been causedby lightning and 1,193 fires have beencaused by people.

Overhead team and fire crew members discussstrategy for the Eagle Fire in the Prince Georgeforest region.

"It has been a screwy year," saidEric Meyer, fire weather specialist,protection branch, when trying toexplain the summer's electrifyingweather patterns. "The summer highpressure ridge that usually sets up and

gives us a long-term warm, dry spellnever really established itself stronglyenough to block the weak disturbancescoming off the Pacific."

These 'impulses' pump coot moistair inland where it lies on top of thewarmer, lighter air that rises from theheated land surface. This creates theatmospheric instability that is one of theprime mechanisms for generatinglightning, or the cloud that produceslightning.

During the August long weekend, amajor lightning storm passed throughthe province, and the lightningdetection system recorded over 25,700lightning strikes. As a result of thisstorm, 706 new fire starts occurred overa five-day period.

Out-of-province firefighters had to becalled in to assist the initial attackcrews. "Through the MARS (Mutual

(continued on page 2)

Deputy Minister thanks revenue project contributorsAn open letter from the Deputy Minister, Philip Halkett, toeveryone who contributed to the recently completed three-yearRevenue Management Project. (See article page 6).

It is with great pleasure I acknowledge and thank you foryour valuable contribution towards the Ministry's recentlyimplemented Revenue Management Project.

From its conception, development and planning stagesin 1988 to the project's final stages of activation this year, ithas been gratifying to observe and experience the enormousdedication and team spirit of everyone involved -- here inVictoria, and throughout the regions and districts.

As the new systems become fully integrated into thedaily activities of the Ministry everyone will benefit.Jobs will become easier, quicker and more interesting.

An added and valued benefit of the project has been thestrengthening of everyone's skills and knowledge.

Your part in the development and delivery of the projectis something of which you can be very proud and pleased.The commitment, support and genuine interest of all theindividuals who played a part in this challenging endeavourhas surpassed all expectations.

I look forward to your continued fine work and futurecontributions to the Ministry's operations -- andcongratulate you on your achievements with the RevenueManagement Project.

Yours sincerely,

Please distribute to all employees at their work stations

2 The B.C. Forest Service Newsletter/September 1992

FS to be an anchor participant in CORE processStephen Owen, Commissioner onResources and the Environment, issueda Land Use Strategy for British Columbiain mid-August.

The report describes the commission'smandate and preliminary work plans,and explains how the public can becomemore directy involved in making theland-use decisions that are important tothem through the process of 'shareddecision-making.'

"People, right from square one, are tobe involved in the design of theseprocesses," says deputy commissionerand former Forest Service employeeDenis O'Gorman.

"From the start, we are going to pullthem together, ask them the questionsabout their willingness to participate,ask them to identify their processconcerns and issues, and then arrive atsome protocols that can satisfy them,but also provide direction, in the sensethat recommendations will be expectedwithin a set time frame."

O'Gorman expects the Forest Servicewill be one of the anchor participants inthe commission's work because so

many of the issues are based on forestryland management.

The commission was created as apermanent, independent statutory bodylast year. Its mandate is to develop aprovince-wide and world-leadingstrategy for land-use planning andrelated management that reflects alarger commitment to sustainability.

The commission will undertakeregional negotiation processes wherebroad land-use allocations will bedetermined. The commission will alsostudy and support a number ofcommunity-based pilot projects over thenext year to determine the mosteffective framework for the processesthat will manage resource andenvironmental issues.

The initial focus will be on VancouverIsland, the Cariboo-Chilcotin, andKootenay regions because of theland-use conflicts in those areas.

The report also presents a draft LandUse Charter -- a set of basic principlesthat will form the foundation of the newstrategy and provide direction for theplanning process.

Recognizing that a healthyenvironment and economy areessential to the social, cultural, material,physical, and spiritual well-being ofBritish Columbians, the four-page draftcharter outlines the government'scommitment "to protect and restore thequality and integrity of theenvironment, and secure a sound andprosperous economy for present andfuture generations."

The Forest Service and otherministries will be key participants byproviding information, backgroundknowledge, and technical support.

"In the shared decision-makingmodel, they are also stakeholders, so theministries will be functioning as theydid in the old-growth [strategy] processas parties at the table along withrepresentatives from industry, theacademic community, and non­governmental organizations, interestedin solving the problem at hand," saysO'Gorman, "It means a different kind ofworking relationship, more of acollegial relationship rather than one ofcommand and control."

o e of our worst fire seaso sever ... (continued from page 1)

Aid Resource Sharing) Agreement we have with all of theprovinces, territories, and some northern states, we can call forshort-term assistance. This helps us over the initial fire bustuntil our own crews start to come back off the fire lines and getrefreshed," explained Steve Westby, superintendent, initialattack crews, protection branch.

Out-of-province firefighters were called in July to helpcombat the Stone and Eagle fires near Prince George. The Stonefire caused the evacuation of eight families in the community ofStoner, when it burned right up to their back yards.

The Lytton Fire in the Kamloops forest region over theAugust long weekend resulted in the evacuation of 42 homes.Started by children playing with matches and fueled by the dryconditions and 55 kilometre per hour winds, the fire quicklyspread. Three homes and 694 hectares were burned before thefire was brought under control.

Evacuation of 35 families on the west side of Okanagan Lakewas also necessary August 18. "It was a 17-hectare blazebelieved to have been caused by sparks from a roadside grassmower at Fintry in the Vernon fire district," said Rick Whyte,fire suppression coordinator, Kamloops forest region.

About 100 firefighters were needed to contain the fire.People were allowed to return to their homes on a conditionalbasis the next day. "We wanted to get them back to their homesas soon as possible but we also wanted to make sure that the firewas safe and didn't get away on us again," Whyte said.

The Kamloops forest region has been the busiest in theprovince for fire starts. Whyte noted that with all the lightning­caused fires this year, the region was 50 per cent above theiraverage.

While there has been a phenomenal number of fire starts thisseason, initial attack crews have had an exceptionally highsuccess rate in preventing small fires from escaping to projectfires.

Gary Hartwig, fire crew superintendent, protection branch,estimated that the initial attack crews are successful about 92 to94 per cent of the time.

And with the advent of the unit crew program, project fireshave been cut right down in terms of time and money spent."We've also seen our accident rates cut substantially from thedays when we had 'street-hired' firefighters, with little or notraining," Westby said.

The unit crew program is in its fifth season and has expandedfrom one crew in 1988 to 27 this year. The native crew programfunds 18 of these.

"By all indications, we will have a very low accident rate infire suppression this year," says Hartwig. "We attribute thatand the high productivity of the crews to high standards fortraining and physical fitness, and to the overall sense ofteamwork that develops when they work closely with the samepeople through the summer. The training seems to be reallypaying off."

The B.C. Forest Service Newsletter/September 1992 3

Introducing new ADM Thea Vakil

Thea Vakil, new assistant deputy minister of managementservices division.

Thea Vakil, the new assistant deputyminister for management servicesdivision really has her work cut outfor her.

With the 93/94 fiscal year loomingon the horizon, ministries are beingasked to tighten their belts.

Vakil, who has a MSc in businessadministration from UBc, is nowresponsible for the human resources,financial services, technical andadministration, information systems,and auditing services branches plusthe section that deals with freedom ofinformation.

"As the executive financial officer,of course, 1have to be concernedabout the budget. Because of thegovernment's relatively poor fiscalposition, the budget process will be adifficult one," Vakil said in a recentinterview.

Her previous position, as assistantdeputy minister and secretary to theTreasury Board, may prove invaluablein this process. She understands thebigger picture and is well aware ofhow budgets hang together.

But she is still just getting her feetwet after starting the job at thebeginning of August. "Right now I'mtrying to understand how the ForestService works and what all of the

issues are. These are the priorities atthe moment, as is building on mypredecessor's work with theManagement Services Strategic Plan."

The strategic plan came out of theneed for all aspects of managementservices to become more aligned withthe overall objectives and businessprogram goals of the Forest Service.Some finance and administrationworkshops were held early this yearto develop plan objectives. "I haveaccepted those as the starting point forcontinuing what 1 think is a very goodinitiative," Vakil said.

Beyond improving the budget andfinancial management process, Vakilfeels the strategic plan initiative hashelped to get people working togetheras a team and a community, Simply byhaving them in the same room talkingto one another.

"All organizations experiencedifficulties from time to time, and in anorganization as decentralized as ours,those difficulties become pronounced,simply because of geographicdispersion. But 1 certainly do feel thatthe Forest Service, as a whole, reflects apositive corporate culture -- people arequite aware of what its focus andmandate are, and aware of what needsto be done."

Vakil notes that inthe last couple of yearsmanagement servicescouncil meetings haven'thappened as often asthey once did.Depending on theresources available, sheplans to re-establishmore frequent councilmeetings, with the nextone occurring inSeptember.

Council meetings areattended by allmanagement servicesdivision directors,regional staff managers,and representatives fromthe operations andforestry divisions.

Vakil remarked that someorganizational structures are betterthan others but that structure was notas important as the way people behave."1 think that a hierarchy is not, bydefinition, bad. But the structure ofan organization, in itself, has reallynothing to do with the way we operate.Management styles supersede orreplace structure to a large extent.You can make anything work if youare of good will and have a group ofcapable people who are motivated."

She describes her own style ofmanagement as 'open.' "I like mycommunications with people to beface-to-face, rather than writing memosback and forth."

News in briefRecent news releases

• Okanagan area residents' viewssought on Fletcher Challenge'srequest to transfer its operationsin the southern interior toOkanagan-based RiversideForest Products Ltd. - #82

• Province to establish 12-memberFirst Nations Forestry Councilto assist the government, theFirst Nations, and the forestindustry in implementingrecommendations of the TaskForce on Native Forestry - #83

• Six companies apply for two­year, non-replaceable forestlicence(s) to salvagemerchantable timber from insect­damaged lodgepole pine standswest of Williams Lake - #84

• Fort St. James area residents'views sought on future of timbersale licence previously held bythe bankrupt Gregory TimberLtd. - #86

4

Freedom of Information:Questions and Answers

On June 23, the Freedom of Information and Protection ofPrivacy Bill (Fa!) passed third reading in the legislature. Eachregional management team, and several branch managementteams have already been briefed on the contents of thelegislation, and the changes that are anticipated in the way werespond to requests for information.

Following are some questions that are commonly beingasked about FOI and how the Forest Service has responded.

If the Freedom of Information and Protection of PrivacyAct is not to be passed into law until fall of 1993, what arethe Forest Service's obligations now?

A long period between introduction and passage into lawenables government to get records management systems inplace so that legislated time limits for responding to requestscan be met. The time will also be used to train staff on FOI.Regulations, policies, and procedures also need to be drafted.The Forest Service will comply with the spirit of the legislationuntil it becomes law in the fall of 1993.

If we receive a request for information from the public,how should we handle it?

If the request is for information we have routinely releasedin the past, go ahead and release it. Otherwise, take a quicklook and provide the record if it doesn't reveal any personal orthird party business information. If you think there may besome harm as a result of releasing information, or if you haveany other questions, contact either Jack Boomer, manager,information and privacy section (356-6986) or Terry Whitney,program analyst (953-3386).

Many offices are experiencing resource constraints. Willadditional staff be made available to handle FOI-relatedrequests?

It is impossible to forecast the number of requests the ForestService will receive, and how much each office will be affected.We already provide a great deal of over-the-counter informationto the public, so it is hoped that FOI will result in only a marginalincrease in requests for information. Beginning in Septemberthe information and privacy section will be conducting a surveyto find out how much and what type of information we currentlyproVide to the public. From this, we can determine any changesin workload once the legislation becomes law.

As you can see, FOI really does affect the way we dobusiness. If an information session has not yet been arrangedfor your office please contact either Jack Boomer or TerryWhitney for more information. Questions about recordsmanagement should be directed to Bernie Gillespie, recordsofficer (387-5415).

As we can alI learn from questions that arise, look carefulIyat situations that come up in your office, and at informationheld there. If you are unclear how a situation or release ofinformation would be handled under FOI, please call Jack orTerry.

submitted by Jack Boomer, manager,information and privacy section, management services division

The B.C. Forest Service Newsletter/September 1992

Clayoquot Sounddraft strategy releasedAfter a three-year negotiation process, the second draft of asustainable development strategy for the old-growth forests inthe contentious Clayoquot Sound area was released at the endof August.

The Clayoquot Sound Sustainable Development SteeringCommittee's plan calls for a doubling of park lands, with19 new parks proposed to protect some of the area's uniqueecosystems.

The Clayoquot Sound area contains 12 of the remaining 37unprotected and undeveloped large watersheds on the island.The sound borders Pacific Rim National Park in the south,includes Meares Island, stretches north to the HesquiatPeninsula, and to the east touches the southwest corner ofStrathcona Provincial Park.

A task force, established in 1989, recommended theformation of a sustainable development steering committee tolook at long-term land use issues and to develop a sustainabledevelopment strategy.

Convened in 1991, the committee is sponsored by theForest Service, Environment, Lands and Parks, and EconomicDevelopment and Trade, and is chaired by Jim Walker,assistant deputy minister, Environment.

It was originally made up of 23 members representingcommunities, interest groups, and government agencies.Representatives of environmental groups left the process inApril, 1991, because they didn't agree with the continuation oflogging during the discussions.

The committee completed background studies on variousissues of concern including native interests, tourism, and timberresources. In addition, community value surveys were done forPort Alberni, Tofino and Ucluelet -- the three communitieswhose economic status depends mainly on Clayoquot Sound.

People living in these communities appear to be sharplydivided on the role of forest management and old-growthforests, with 54 per cent of Tofino residents saying old-growthforests should be left in their natural state, compared with nineper cent in Ucluelet, and seven per cent in Port Alberni.However, a large proportion of the population in all three agreethat some old growth should be left in a natural state.

The first draft strategy's goals included the maintenanceof life support systems, species diversity, sustainability, asecure industrial base, employment, plus the coexistence ofthese goals.

One of the most contentious issues throughout the processhas been the chapter dealing with protected areas.

The second draft proposes that 19 areas be protected as parksor reserves, including the Hesquiat Peninsula, sections of Floresand Vargas Islands, and Upper Shelter and Sydney Inlets.

While the steering committee is in general agreement, somemembers have reservations about a few of the proposals.And it seems likely that the proposed protected areas and forestmanagement guidelines will receive the most scrutiny when thestrategy is reviewed by the public in mid-September.

submitted by Emma Neill, community liaison officer,Port Alberni forest district

The B.C. Forest Service Newsletter/September 1992

Major forest fire accidentused for first-aid competition

5

Smokey the Bear (Reinhard Mueller) and Rich Courtney, first-aid section manager,Workers' Compensation Board, at first-aid competition awards banquet.

Disaster struck in the form of a majorforest fire accident in the Vancouverforest region in mid-June.

Fortunately, teams of first-aidpersonnel were on hand for a mockrescue that was part of the Workers'Compensation Board 35th annualfirst-aid competition.

The accident scenario began with aforestry crew working the front line ofa forest fire. The fire is pushedtowards the crew when the windshifts. A tree explodes into flamesand falls on some of the workers,trapping them under burningbranches until they can be freed byrescuers.

At the start of the event, first-aidteams were told that a search andrescue helicopter has been dispatchedand will be ready to transport'victims' in twenty minutes. Aboutfive minutes into the rescue, a workerwatching the helicopter land is struckby flying debris.

It all added up to an excitingcompetition for the eight first-aidteams.

Through the creative use ofspecial make-up, the 'victims' of thisfire-fighting accident displayedscorched and blistered skin, brokenlegs, and various other injuries.Abandoned fire-fighting equipmentwas scattered around the 'victims' toadd a degree of difficulty to therescue event.

"The make-up was unbelievable,"said Reinhard Mueller, draughtingsuperintendent, Vancouver region,who was responsible for the props inthe scenario.

Mueller became involved withthe forest fire scenario through hiswife, Peggy, who works as a safetyofficer for the Workers' CompensationBoard.

"It took a lot of hours, sneakingbehind people's backs, to get all theequipment," notes Mueller, who wasinstructed to keep the scenario themetop secret. "Even the board membersdidn't know what was going tohappen," adds Mueller.

The accident scenario required theuse of two trucks, an all-terrainvehicle, portable pumps and hose,back-packs, chain saws, firefightercoveralls, and hard hats. Thisequipment lent authenticity to thescenario, helping to create a realisticaccident scene.

Equipment was at a premium atthe time. Vancouver region'sprotection section was engaged in firesuppression activities but fortunately,Mueller was able to secure thenecessary props for the competitionwith their help.

In a recent thank-you letter, theWorker's Compensation Board notesthat the "success of the day was duein no small part to the generosity ofthe Forest Service." The letter alsorecognizes the dedication and manyhours of work that Reinhard Muelleroffered to ensure that the first-aidcompetition was a realistic andchallenging event.

However, Mueller's dedicationextended even further when hedressed up as Smokey the Bear forthe awards banquet that followed thecompetition. In this case it seemsSmokey had more of a hand increating a forest fire than in puttingone out.

submitted by Nancy Argyle,public information officer,Vancouver forest region

6 The B.C. Forest Service Newsletter/September 1992

Revenue management project completed!The revenue management project has been completed.It is functioning. And we did it!

The project started three years ago and the people­power needed to complete the 'enterprise' came fromvarious branches, the six forest regions, and the forestdistricts.

The project management team consisting of theexecutive steering committee, the business coordinationgroup, and individual project steering committees, wassupported by numerous project teams, a few outsidecontractors and consultants, and a cross-project systemscoordination team to ensure progress and continuity.

John Mallett, operations director, operations division,said the forest tenure administration system portion of theproject is proof that "branches, regions, and districts canwork together to produce a good product."

"Now that most of the systems are developed, it iscritical that both system owners -- branches -- users -­everyone -- work together to ensure that the systems aremaintained and enhanced, and to ensure that ourorganization can adapt to the business transformationcurrently taking place with the Forest Service,"Mallett said.

David Ford, manager, planning and dataadministration, information systems branch, said thework was "harrowing, but worth it."

In 1988, the Forest Service recognized weaknesses inrevenue administration and proposed a broad range ofinitiatives, including new legislation, policies, andbusiness practices. Also based on these proposals weresignificant systems redevelopment, implementation, andstaff training.

In spring 1988, Treasury Board approved the ForestService's request to proceed with this major undertakingand allocated $11.35 million for the three-year RevenueManagement Project.

Change was inevitable when the Forest Servicestarted addressing the many approaches to revenueadministration in:

• the forest tenure administration system;

• the harvest billing system;

• client, credit management, accounts receivable, andcollections; and,

• electronic data interchange.

The cumulative effect of these projects occurring at thesame time tested the endurance of every functional areaand individual involved in the project.

The Forest Service approached this challenge in apositive manner -- by focusing on the benefits:

• faster processing of payments by industry;

• reduced level of bad debts;

• reduced risk of revenue leakage;

• efficiency improvements;

• improved waste management;

• increase in rental, range, and export revenues;

• reduced risk of software failure;

• improvements in the management of the small businessprogram;

• Forest Service-wide program monitoring; and,

• standardized procedures and training.

With these in mind, the project focused on some of themost evident and tangible problems, with the followinggoals as the outcome:

• to strengthen legislation and policy;

• to strengthen staff skills and knowledge;

• to improve the integration of functions and information;

• to improve and formalize business practices;

• to change attitudes towards revenue management; and,

• to develop new information systems to replace out­dated, unreliable manual and computer systems.

It was recognized at the outset that this was a high-riskproject, requiring the implementation of a complex arrayof new policies and computer systems -- all within a tighttime frame, and with only existing staff as a resource.

The most significant undertaking of the project was tomake the harvest billing system more robust, reliable, andmore flexible in its ability to accommodate policy changes.

Greg Grove-White, manager, harvest revenue, said,"the project raised the level of decision making in theForest Service to a better standard."

"This has been an exciting few years. We have learneda tremendous amount about the Forest Service, about therevenue function and about building information systems,"Randy McDonald, manager, financial systems, financialservices branch said.

"Most importantly, we have learned that we have thepeople in the Forest Service who are capable ofsuccessfully making significant improvements to the waywe do things."

submitted by Nick Krischanowsky,executive coordinator, management services division

The B.C. Forest Service Newsletter/September 1992

Touch Your Forests

7

The pilot phase of the Touch Your Forests touchscreensystem, being developed by the silviculture branch, wascompleted on March 31, 1992.

The interactive, multimedia prototype, whichincorporates video, audio, text and animation, providesan entertaining and credible source of information onforestry in the province.

Testing of the system on two target groups -- highschool and college students and ForestService and Forestry Canada non­forestry staff -- showed strong supportfor its concept and design.

The goal of the Touch Your Forestsproject is to provide access to aninteractive information source thatpromotes awareness and criticalthinking about forest management inBritish Columbia.

The objective of the project's current phase is to developeight units of the touchscreen system.

The system is designed for an informal learningsetting and is targeted towards 16- to 35-year-olds withan average grade-seven reading level. It will bedeveloped, maintained, and enhanced on the basis ofinput and feedback from this group.

An advisory team has been formed to guide, providetwo-way feedback, and serve as the basis for projectdecision-making. Forest Service team members include:Michael Blackstock, project manager; Steven Hunt,

project assistant; Kelly Hutton, public silvicultureinformation forester; Tom Lacey, Merritt forest district;Jim Challenger, public affairs branch; and, LindaBarnes, information systems branch.

Non-Forest Service advisory team members include:Pat Fogarty, public volunteer; Mark Hawkes, Ministryof Education; Tony Roy, British Columbia SystemsCorporation; Jeni Gillings, student representative;

Barry Pavitt, marketing company; and,Gail Wallin, British Columbia ForestryAssociation.

The project advisory team held itsfirst meeting July 14-15 and developeda project plan for the upcoming fiscalyear.

Public input will continue to be thedriving force behind the developmentof Touch Your Forests under this plan,

with new storyboards and revisions of existingstoryboards based on target group feedback.

Focus testing of the touchscreen system by the targetgroup is slated for February, 1993. Delivery of the eightunits is planned for March, 1993.

For more information, contact:

Michael Blackstock, project manager, 387-8914

Kelly Hutton, public silviculture informationforester, 356-6214

Steven Hunt, project assistant, 387-8916

Mitchell moves to Protected AreasWarren Mitchell, major projects manager, integratedresources branch, has been appointed director of theProtected Areas Strategy initiative.

"The government is bringing together all protected areainitiatives and programs under one strategy," Mitchellsaid. "This includes the Old-Growth Strategy and Parksand Wilderness for the '90s, and other initiatives forecological reserves and wildlife management areas."

Mitchell reports to the interagency assistant deputyministers committee for protected areas with co-chairsfrom the Forest Service, B.C. Parks, B.C. Environment, andEnergy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. They willrecommend how best to coordinate protected areas

programs and to integrate their objectives for conservationand recreation. The committee will also guide theimplementation of the strategy's components.

"Our objective is to present a comprehensive strategy toCabinet by the end of October," says Mitchell.

The Protected Areas Strategy is a key component of theprovincial land-use strategy being developed by theCommission on Resources and Environment (see relatedstory on page 2). It will enable regional planningprocesses being set up under the commission to evaluateregional protected area candidates within an overallprovincial context. More than 180 areas in the provincehave been designated for study by the Cabinet.

8 The B.C. Forest Service Newsletter /September 1992

ROOTS

Forest fires brought death and destruction to many pioneer communities in British Columbia. Thisphotograph, fr0111 the Forest Service collection held by the Provincial Archives, shows residents of Port Nevilleseeking refuge on the water during the fire of June 1925. Timber supplies at the time seemed virtuallyunlimited and many settlers believed forest fires we/'e simply a natural accompaniment to progress anddevelopment. Even when the danger of fire was understood, pioneers seldom had any concept of basic fireprevention techniques (Be. Archives photo H-4952!.

AppointmentsJohn Smith joined the training anddevelopment section of humanresources branch as the ForestService's first enforcement trainingofficer on August 4.

Smith comes from the Ministryof Environment, Lands and Parks,where he was the training officer forthe conservation officer service.Before that, he was a member of theRCMP for 23 years, which includeda three-year tour as an instructor atthe Canadian Police College.

Smith will be responsible for thedevelopment and delivery ofenforcement training for operationsand timber, and providing adviceon enforcement matters to districtsand regions.

Keri Norrie is the new audit projectmanager in the audit servicesbranch.

Norrie is a chartered accountantwith an honours degree in businessfrom York University in Toronto andwas previously an audit managerwith Ernst and Young (formerlyClarkson Gordon) CharteredAccountants, in Edmonton.

As well as extensive experiencein auditing, she has carried outmany non-audit projects includingefficiency and effectiveness studies,feasibility reviews, and computersystem evaluations.

Orientation to the Forest ServiceThe two-day 'Orientation to the ForestService' program is set for this fall withabout 28 courses being offered betweenlate September and March, 1993.

The orientation provides generalinformation on the Forest Service and isappropriate for technical/operational/administrative staff in the district,regions, or branches.

Ali employees are welcome to attend.New employees find the course anessential foundation for their work and italso helps them to clearly understandtheir roles and responsibilities in relation

to the overall goals and operations of theForest Service. The course had excellentreviews last year from those whoattended and veterans have found thecourse to be a useful update.

The classroom-based course includesgroup discussions, exercises, videos,slides, overheads, and lectures.

The Deputy Minister, Philip Halkett,is fully supportive and participates in allcourses held in Victoria.

Information about course dates canbe obtained from your district, region orbranch training contact.

The B.c. Forest Service Newsletter ispublished by the Public AffairsBranch, Ministry of Forests, located at595 Pandora Street, Victoria.

Mailing Address:1450 Government Street, Victoria, B.C.V8W 3E7

Phone: 387-5255 FAX: 387-8485

Submissions are encouraged. Pleasesend your comments, suggestions andcontributions to Susan Bannerman, atPublic Affairs Branch.