Forest Enhancement Society of BC. Project Planning Process and Selection Criteria For Interested Parties External to the Provincial Government

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1 Forest Enhancement Society of BC Project Planning Process and Selection Criteria 2016 For Interested Parties External to the Provincial Government Background In February, 2016 the BC Government announced the formation of a new organization called the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC). At the time of its formation, the BC Government provided an initial contribution of $85 million to the Society. The purposes of the Society, as laid out in its Constitution, are: A. To advance environmental and resource stewardship of British Columbia s forests by: (i) preventing and mitigating the impact of wildfires; (ii) improving damaged or low value forests; (iii) improving habitat for wildlife; (iv) supporting the use of fibre from damaged and low value forests; (v) treating forests to improve the management of greenhouse gases; and B. To advocate for the environmental and resource stewardship of British Columbia s forests. Identifying Potential Projects In May, 2016 the FESBC Board of Directors met with senior Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO) staff to jointly determine an efficient path forward to plan, select and deliver projects on the provincial Crown land base that align with the purposes of the Society and its current funding. FESBC Board members and FLNRO staff recognized the overarching FLNRO mandate to plan, manage and authorize activities on Crown land in BC and the need for FESBC projects to fit within this mandate. In recognition of this and to clarify the roles of FLNRO and FESBC in delivering the Forest Enhancement Program in BC, a document titled FESCB-Government Responsibility Matrix was created (available as a separate companion document). The process for project selection outlined in this paper is based on this document. As a first step, the FESBC Board of Directors have determined that program delivery will be strategically most effective if FLNRO develops Regional FEP investment plans, that identify and describe strategic opportunities/projects consistent with regional land, fire and habitat management plans and FESBC project selection criteria. It is anticipated that District staff, who have local 1

2 knowledge about: areas requiring wildfire risk reduction/mitigation, the rehabilitation needs of fire damaged or low value stands and wildlife habitat enhancement priorities, will identify potential projects based on the FESBC project selection criteria (below) and these District priorities will form the basis for the Regional FEP investment plans. The FESBC Board will review the Regional FEP investment plans and select candidate projects for inclusion in the FESBC business plans based on the selection criteria outlined below. Eligible External Parties A process to provide an opportunity to submit local projects for FESBC funding consideration from eligible interested parties who are external to the Provincial government, including: local governments, FN governments and area based tenure holders follows in this document. When considering participation in the program, eligible parties, as noted above, should seek input and support from District staff, who have local knowledge about: areas requiring wildfire risk reduction/mitigation, the rehabilitation needs of fire damaged or low value stands, and wildlife habitat enhancement priorities. Eligible parties who wish to propose a project must follow the two stage process outlined in this paper. District staff will be asked to assess the suitability of proposed projects in meeting FLNRO s strategic objectives and FESBC project selection criteria. Districts will include those external projects that they support in their prioritized project lists. These will form part of the Regional FEP investment plans to be submitted to FESBC for review and funding consideration. Selection Criteria for FESBC Approved Projects The FESBC Board of Directors will strive to ensure that FEP funding is directed to the highest priority projects on the provincial Crown land base that fall within the purposes of the Society. In order to achieve this objective, the FESBC Board of Directors has developed the following set of project selection criteria to help guide its decision making. The Board anticipates that many projects will satisfy a number of these criteria given the significant provincial Crown land base available for treatment. As such, the FESBC Board will place a high priority on proposed projects that satisfying multiple FESBC selection criteria: A. Wildfire risk reduction/mitigation prioritized based on reduction in wildfire threat to communities, critical infrastructure, First Nation cultural values, timber supply and special features such as parks and protected areas in 2

3 consideration of approved Community Wildfire Protection Plans and Fire Management Plans. B. Wildlife habitat enhancement prioritized based on provincial priorities and Habitat Management Plans as assessed by regional wildlife and ecosystem restoration specialists. C. Rehabilitation of fire damaged or low value stands, particularly MPB killed stands that will not be salvaged through existing licences prioritized based on contribution to timber supply needs or shortages. D. Recovery of fibre (lumber, pulp, pellets, energy, etc.) prioritized based on volumes created for local/regional markets (note: fibre recovery and disposition cannot create softwood lumber trade risks). E. Opportunities to attain carbon benefits prioritized based on guidance to be provided by the Competitiveness and Innovation Branch, FLNRO. F. Opportunities to combine FESBC funding on the provincial Crown land base with other funding sources (ex. UBCM-SWPI, LBI, HCTF, FFT, CBT, NDIT, etc.) and/or creating synergies with adjacent projects or TSA/landscape/ community strategies. G. Community/First Nation government support as indicated through the project consultation process. H. Value-for-money in achieving all of the above based on FESBC Board of Directors evaluation. A higher value will be placed on those projects that provide lower funding costs per area treated. I. Especially for 2016, projects more fully prepared for expeditious startup and delivery are strongly preferred. FESBC Project Cost Considerations Project costs that may be considered by the FESBC Board of Directors include the following (note: only where they are incremental to costs already borne by the eligible interested party): Planning costs Prescription contracts Consultation contracts Treatment costs Costs that will not be considered include: Costs committed to meet objectives outside of FESBC criteria Wages or regular expenses for staff 3

4 Expenses or costs paid or committed to by others Costs that could be considered tenure obligations or in any way would create a trade risk. For 2016 Funded Projects It is the intent of the FESBC Board of Directors to begin funding approved projects during the 2016 fiscal year with administration provided through a 3 rd party delivery agent. Because of the obvious time constraints, the Board will be open to considering: District-supported high priority projects that are shovel-ready (or will be with minimal effort), are deemed by District staff to meet the FESBC project selection criteria, and have strong assurance of expeditious startup during To expedite the 2016 project review and funding process, eligible interested parties should identify suitable projects given the three conditions noted immediately above. Those projects identified will be required to complete the first stage of the Project Planning Process (see below) a two-page proposal outline and submit it (with supporting material, as may be requested) to the local FLNRO District for assessment. Districts will include those external projects that they support in their 2016 prioritized project lists. In turn, FLNRO Regional offices will be asked to collate a prioritized district/regional project list for 2016 and submit it (with supporting material, as required) to the FESBC Board of Directors for review and funding consideration. NOTE for 2016 Projects: Latest submission date for receipt of the prioritized District/Regional project lists to FESBC is: AUGUST 19 th, For 2017 Funded Projects It is anticipated that FESBC funding will ramp-up in 2017 as the lead-time will provide the opportunity to undertake planning of proposed projects more thoroughly. As such, completion of the Two-Stage Project Planning Process as outlined below will be a requirement for proposed 2017 projects submitted by eligible interested parties to FESBC. Two-Stage Project Planning Process To avoid costly investment in project proposals which do not meet FESBC funding criteria, a two-stage project specific planning approach has been adopted by the FESBC Board of Directors as follows: 1. The first stage - will require the submission of a maximum two-page proposal outline to the local FLNRO District. The submission will detail the objectives of the project, area to be treated (preferably with a rough map), a reasonably well defined cost estimate, and projected timelines. FLNRO (including BCWS and 4

5 natural resource sector agencies, as appropriate) will evaluate proposals against meeting FESBC project selection criteria and FLNRO s strategic objectives. Only those project proposals deemed to meet the criteria and objectives will be requested to complete a more rigorous submission for final approval under the second stage. 2. The second stage - will require a detailed project proposal submission including, but not limited to: detailed maps; project objectives and deliverables; treatment prescriptions (if available); a description outlining how the project aligns with FESBC selection criteria; detailed cost estimates; timelines including milestone payments, if any; a commitment to report out on results and deliverables; and any administrative requirements required by FLNRO. 3. Districts will include those external projects that they support in their 2017 prioritized project lists. In turn, FLNRO Regional offices will be asked to collate a prioritized district/regional project list for 2017 and submit it (with supporting material, as required) to the FESBC Board of Directors for review and funding consideration NOTE for 2017 Projects: The first submission date for receipt of the collated prioritized District/Regional project lists to FESBC is: NOVEMBER 4 th, (It is anticipated that there will be additional opportunities to submit potential 2017 projects once the initial intake has been assessed.) For additional information or questions, please contact: Greg Anderson, FESBC Executive Director; anderson.greg.c@gmail.com 5