Genesis
The Forest Investment Account (FIA)
is a provincial government mechanism for promoting sustainable forest
management in British Columbia. It is
founded upon a Vote of the Legislature, authorizing the Minister of Forests and Range
to fund certain forest management activities. The FIA comprises five programs:
Crown Land Use Planning Enhancement, Forest Genetics Conservation and Management, Forest Science, Land Base Investment, and Market Development.
The FIA Forest Science Program (FIA-FSP) funds forest science initiatives that address the critical knowledge needed to enable science-based sustainable management of British Columbia’s forest resources. The program focuses on applied research in the areas of sustainability and improving forest growth and value, and using forest science results more effectively through extension.
An 11-member Chief Forester's Forest Science Advisory Council (CF-FSAC) advises the Deputy Minister of Forests and Range about strategies and priorities for the FIA-FSP.
Vision
The FIA-FSP will be a world leader in providing credible
and relevant scientific knowledge to support sustainable forest management
policies
and practices.
Mandate
The FIA Forest Science Program will:
- develop a forest science research program that research providers and users will view as a credible contribution to the scientific knowledge for land-based activities and that will increase public acceptance of forest management decisions
- offer products that are useful and timely for solving provincial
forest management problems in the short and long terms
- promote collaboration in design and delivery of an effective
provincial forest extension program
- promote awareness of the value of forest science and the effective
application of research.
Strategic Goals
- Improve science-based knowledge in support
of sustainability
1.1 Develop and implement a strategy for research
related to issues of sustainable forest management within
the scope of the FIA-FSP.
- Improve science-based knowledge in support of improving
forest growth and value
2.1 Develop and implement a strategy for research
related to improving forest growth and value within the scope of
the FIA-FSP.
- Guide development of a provincial forest extension program
that includes FIA-FSP extension
3.1 Select an agency to coordinate and deliver a collaborative provincial forest extension program.
- Develop
an efficient and effective process for determining annual research
and extension priorities
4.1 Develop a structure for identifying
annual research and extension priorities that meet defined business
needs.
4.2 Establish principles and methods for allocating funds to the research
and extension programs and projects,
and the administrative
structures
required to support them.
- Encourage sufficient
stable funding to meet the needs of the FIA-FSP
5.1 Monitor forest
research and extension activities and progress, and report
annually to stakeholders.
By November
1 each year,
publish a summary
of all research funded in the previous fiscal year.
5.2 By March 15 each year,
deliver a business plan outlining the allocation of funds to FIA-FSP
activities
for the
coming fiscal
year.
5.3 Identify and report the return on investment
of forest research and extension activities.
5.4 Champion an increase in annual funding for the FIA-FSP.
Programs
The FIA Forest Science Program reflects the information
needs and priorities of those who plan and manage British Columbia’s
public forest lands. It focuses on applied research and the extension of
forest science results.
The FIA-FSP funds:
Most funds are allocated to single- and multi-year projects that address the annual priorities set by the Chief Forester's Forest Science Advisory Council.
Progress
FIA-Forest Science Program accomplishments since its inception in November 2004
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Governance
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Board/Advisory Council, committees
bylaws, terms of reference
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Aboriginal harmonization
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Aboriginal members to the Board
First Nations Advisory Group
Aboriginal Harmonization Working Group
Establishment of an Aboriginal Science Funding Stream
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Planning and execution
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Program strategies, annual priorities
Allocation of funds
Annual Call for Proposals process
Graduate student pilot project
Provincial Forest Extension Program Strategy
Information gaps
Harmonization with Aboriginal interests
Collaborative research initiatives for climate change and growth and yield funding
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Continuous improvement
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Improved Call for Proposals process
Performance measures
Peer review process
Conflict of interest protocol
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FIA‑FSP profile
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Website, display, brochures, articles
Presentations to users and providers
Strategic plan, annual business plans, annual reports
Regional workshops and dialogue session with First Nations
FIA-FSP research project synopses
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Mountain Pine Beetle
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Direction on federal MPB funding
Administer R&D and extension funding
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Special reports
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Benefits of research 1994-2014
Management issues hierarchy
Research syntheses reports
MPB - linking projects to needs
SFM social and economic indicators, trade-off analysis
Research trends
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FIA Forest Science Board Accomplishments 2004-2007 ( -149 Kb)
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