Volume 1, Number 4 • A Newsletter for Ministry ofForest Servic

She can'tsee theforest forthe seeds

Abiologist's passion fortree seeds has led to theproduction of an award­

winning poster. Carole Leadem,a scientist at the Glyn RoadResearch Station, is a dedicatedresearcher and extensionspecialist who has spent most ofher career immersed in thewonders of tree seeds.

Leadem has spent almost20 years with the Forest Servicelooking at everything to do withseeds - dormancy, handling,quality assessment, seedproduction and more. AndLeadem clearly understands theimportance of communicatingher work to as broad an audienceas possible.

Leadem noted that if forestryworkers don't appreciate thatseeds are alive, they may dropthem, leave them in the sun, orlet them freeze. Said Leadem,"Each tree seed contains aminiature living tree.

"I came to the Forest Servicewith an academic background,and it quickly became apparentthat some really basic conceptswere not understood by thepeople who handle seeds. Peopledon't appreciate how importantseeds are."

Research branch director Ted Baker presents The Secret Life of Tree

Seeds to Minister David Zirnhelt. The framed poster now hangs

outside the Minister's office.

Leadem has taught many Management Handbook 30)workshops on cone collection, which was intended for resourceseed testing, and seed biology, managers who would benefit ...,and provided hands-on training from a better understanding of ::r

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in her laboratory for Forest the biology of tree seeds. t:ll

Service and industry technicians ...Now Leadem is working with

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as well as overseas visitors from_.

several other authors including '"China, Thailand, Indonesia, the ::r

Philippines and France. LeademKaren Yearsley, Vera Sit and ()

David Spittlehouse, all of 0

has been involved in trainingresearch branch, on a field ~

sessions at the Silvi-cultural Sstudies manual for a more er

Institute of B.C. for more than_.

technical readers including '"10 years. She's active in Forestryprofessionals, field technicians

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children appreciate the ...will assist workers to plan and <

importance and beauty of treeconduct studies in the field. ('l

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please distribute to all employees at their workstalions

showing people the beauty anddiversity of B.C. tree seeds. "Iwanted something that lookedbeautiful, and then I hoped thatthey would read it," saidLeadem.

Leadem met with Paul Nystedt,art coordinator at productionresources section. With FRDAfunding, they hired a designer,a photographer and illustrators,and a poster that would soonbecome known as The Secret LifeofTree Seeds began to take shape.

"Carole inspired a great team,"said Nystedt, "everyone had apart to play. The sum was greater

than the bits and pieces ­true synergy."

Nystedt took on the role ofcoordinator of the projectkeeping everyone on schedule.He also wanted to ensure thatthe original intent of the posterwas not lost. "We wanted thisposter to fit into the other partsof Carole's program," saidNystedt. "Carole's work will behighlighted and the role of seedswill be put into perspective."

The poster came off the pressesin early 1997, just in time fordesigner Denton Pendergast toenter it into the Graphic

Designers of Canada (VancouverIsland) awards. On April 12, treeseeds took centre stage atVictoria's prestigious EmpressHotel when Pendergast pickedup the top award for poster design.

Carole Leadem's love of treeseeds has not waned. She has anew plan to produce individualpost cards that feature anillustration or photograph alongwith a write-up on differentseeds of B.C. trees.

And as for the poster, saidLeadem, 'Tve got a copy hangingin my living room."

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Poster excellent educational toolAs soon as Lorraine Blashill, public education consultant at

public affairs branch saw the tree-seed poster, she knew it

would be great for school kids and educators across the

province.

"The compelling part about this poster," said Blashill, "is that

it is graphically pleasing and it's chock full of information that

everybody should know about tree seeds in B.C."

The 60 cm by 90 cm colour poster describes the seeds of six

conifers - Sitka spruce, whitebark pine, lodgepole pine, white

spruce, western redcedar and amabilis fir - and three

hardwoods - bigleaf maple, red alder and Garry oak - all

native to British Columbia. Although not every species is

represented, the selected species display the interesting variety

and beauty of our native seeds.

The posters are being distributed to elementary, secondary

and independent schools across the province. A re-printing will

allow further distribution to tree nurseries, libraries and other

community locations.

"These posters are an excellent educational resource," said

Blashill. "People are just delighted to receive them."

Vancouverregion holds22nd annualgolftournamentThe tournament will be held at

Momlngstar International GoB

Course In Partcsvllle on

Satunlar, June 14, 1997. Tee

Omes will start at 1:20 p.m.

and JOu can play either 18

holes or nine. The costs are:

$53 for 18 holes, steak or

chicken bartJecue, and pItzes;

$41 for nine holes, the barbecue

and prizes; and $20 for the

barbecue and door prizes.

Deadline for enbfes Is June 2,

1997. To register, contact Bavld

Dolson at 250-751-7071,

fall 250-751-7198.

After the deluge -the Business Continuation Plan

A business continuation plan became a high priority for BC Ferries

after this fire at its Victoria offices.nC1l

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Service, it was former assistantdeputy minister Thea Vakil whotook the lead role in the early1990s and put together acommittee which wrote the firstheadquarters plan.

Updating the plan is theresponsibility of Battles and SueSargent, manager in the financialanalysis and audit section of

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you are not prepared for thesedisasters." Once the crisis periodis over, Battles notes that bothstaff and the public expectgovernment services to beinstantly back in gear.

The need for a businesscontinuation plan is clearlyspelled out in the EmergencyProgram Act. In the Forest

These events alert us to howvulnerable we are to acts ofnature - earthquakes, floods,landslides and others.

"Every night you get inundatedwith disasters on the news," saidBob Battles, director of financialmanagement branch. "It's onlywhen a blizzard or some sort ofcnSlS occurs III your owncommunity that you realize that

7: he Forest Service hasalways recognized the

need to provide for thesafety and security of its staff inan emergency. But as soon as thecrisis has passed, business mustgo on.

It took almost a year for theBurns Lake district office torecover from a devastating firethat destroyed the office and anadjacent warehouse in 1989.Many maps and otherdocuments were lost and fileswere damaged.

As reported in Forest ServiceNews in January, Blizzard '96 inVictoria crushed Forest Servicegreenhouses and shut downoffices for a few days.

Last July, a fire broke out in astaff room of the BC Ferriesbuilding in Victoria. The sixthfloor was extensively damagedand other floors suffered fromwater and smoke. One of the keylessons that BC Ferries learnedfrom the fire was that eventhough it was well prepared fordisasters on its ferry fleet, itneeded a business continuationplan to guide the restoration ofmain office services.

After the emergency, what if ...

•reunIonVanderhoof

On the weekend of May 23-25

past and present staff from

Vanderhoof forest district and

Fort Fraser ranger station are

gathering for another reunion.

promote a greater awareness ofthe importance of a businesscontinuation plan and to

encourage staff to contribute to

plans in their area. They alsostress the importance of beingprepared at home.

Festivities begin on May 23

with registration and a social

at the Nechako friendship

centre from 4:30 p.m. to 1:00

a.m. On Saturday, May 24,

there will be late registration,

tours, shopping, a gathering

spot at the Reid where you can

meet old friends and renew

acquaintances, and a banquet

and dance in the evening. For

Sunday, May 25, they're looking

into a golf tournament and

family day.

If you were a past employee or

know anyone who has not

received an invitation, please

forward names and addresses

or phone numbers to the reunion

committee clo Bonnie Elliot or

Billie Kneen, Vanderhoof forest

district, Box 190, Vanderhoof,

B.C., VOJ 3AO or phone

250-567-6363.

plan to notifY staff and preparinglists of home phone numbers ofkey staff. The plan provides aprocess for restoring services afteran emergency and prioritizes whichservices should be restored first.

With Emergency Preparednessweek coming up from May 5 to

11, Battles and Sargent want to

The development of businesscontinuation plans is at variousstages in the regional offices.Other areas of government areinvolved too.

• My computer is damaged? The LAN information systems are

backed up regularly and data are stored off-site. Information

systems staff will recover important files as quickly as

possible.

• I can't get to work because of damage to my

neighbourhood? If you are available for work, have made

reasonable efforts to contact your supervisor and it is

unreasonable to go to work, then you will still get paid. In

the event of a major disaster, you may receive information

by radio.

• My work site is severely damaged, do I still have a job? Yes.

When arrangements have been made, you will be transferred

to a new location in your community. Your supervisor will

contact you with more information.

• The automatic payment system at the banks is not working?

Financial management branch and the provincial treasury

have the capability to process cheques manually.

• My work site is damaged? Listen to the radio for updates.

Your supervisor or business continuation plan representative

will contact you with information on where and when to

report to work.

• The building isn't safe? BC Buildings Corporation has

qualified inspectors who will check the building thoroughly

and no one will be allowed to return until it is safe.

financial management branch.They are assisted by a committeeof branch representatives fromthe ministry.

The business continuation planoutlines the steps to be followedimmediately after an emergencysituation has passed. The plan isa guide to the timely recovery ofessential ministry services.

The plan identifies measures thatcan be taken before a disaster tominimize the impact, includingdeveloping a communications

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Intranet plan reaps reward

Trina Innes: suggestion will eliminate the need to spend long periods

of time wading through stacks of files at Boundary forest district.

~lanning officer TrinaInnes of the Boundary

forest district in GrandForks came up with an idea thatmakes finding and sharing filesconsiderably faster and easier.The intranet system to post andshare information uses internettechnology but functions on theoffice local area network or LAN.

"The Boundary Intranet willimprove communicationsbetween programs in thedistrict," said Innes. "It willimprove our ability tocommunicate information over alonger planning period. Theintranet centralizes informationat one location on the LAN andeliminates the need for huntingup file numbers, surveying filesand photocopying."

Screener Betty Corbin-Charmin,regional services manager in theNelson Forest Region stated,"This idea ties in with theIntegrated Workplace StrategyRenewal Project that is runningas a pilot at Boundary district."

Evaluator David Ford, planningmanager at information systemsbranch said "The potential for anoffice intranet is significant, bothfor improving employee efficiencyand for improving the quality ofwork performed in the office."

Information systems branch plansto introduce intranets similar tothe one developed at Boundaryto all districts over the next year.

Trina was presented with acertificate and an award for$857.12 based on net time and

Other award­winning ideas• Queen Charlotte Islands

district employee Mikel

Leclere received a non-cash

award and certificate for his

idea of a shovel holder on

cruising vests. The shovels

are used for digging soil pits

for inventory work. The holder

allows staff to have both

hands free and places the

equipment in a position where

it is unlikely to cause injury•

• Wayne Sparanese, a former

employee of revenue branch,

received an award for his

idea of automating part of

the calculation process for

month-end statistics. The

time-saving idea has been

implemented.

• Robert Westhoff, a former

employee with the Nelson

regional office, was recently

recognized for his suggestion

of a financial analysis and

reporting system.

cost savings of $64,312. Theaward is currently under reviewand could be increased becauseof the additional savings fromthe introduction of intranets atdistricts across B.C.

"I think this technology is stillin its infancy," said Innes. "Theintroduction of an intranet isone big step forward."

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Doug Harbicht (left), the ideas man, receives his award from Susan

MacLean and Jim Langridge

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Two ideasbener than oneDoug Harbicht seems to have noshortage of good ideas. Two ofHarbicht's ideas have beenrecognized under the formerEmployee Suggestion Program.One idea resulted in a moreequitable share of casino benefitsto participating charityorganizations and the otherreduced the cost of clearing andmaintaining Ingenika airstrip inthe Mackenzie forest district.Susan MacLean, ministryrecognition administrator, JimLangridge, director of resourcestenures and engineering branchand Harbicht's co-workerspresented him with a pen,certificate and cheque for $500.Harbicht is a supervisor in theproperties services section of thebranch.

After a field trip in which hisaircraft was unable to land at theairstrip because of loose cobbles

May 4 to May 10 is NationalForest Week and Forest Servicestaff will be involved in all kindsof activities across the province.

Here's a sample ofwhat's going on:

• Boundary forest district issponsoring a "Treevia" contestwith the local newspaper, theGrand Forks Gazette.

• Chilliwack forest district isholding guided tours of VedderMountain "to highlight forestmanagement among the scenic,breath-taking views of CultusLake and the Fraser Valley."

caused by frost action, Harbichtdesigned a float to clear the strip.His float, made of recycled12" x 12" wooden bridge beams,was considerably more costeffective than other options.

Several years ago, Harbicht wasinvolved in a charity thatexperienced a casino whereplayers were luckier than thehouse and his charitable

• Other districts will have similar

activities as well as mall displays.

• Headquarters staff in Victoria

will feature "Talks and Walks",

visiting schools to talk to the

children and leading guided

tours of Goldstream Provincial

Park and other forested areas

around Victoria.

We hope to feature more forest

week activities in the May issue

of the newsletter. Send us your

stories, ideas and photographs.

organization received very littlerevenue. Harbicht suggested thatcasinos' net benefits should bepooled over a period of time anddistributed equally to all partici­pating charitable organizations.A modified form of this idea wasadopted by the ProvincialGaming Commission and hasresulted in a more equitabledistribution of casino benefits.

New name forcombinedisland districtThe former Vancouver Island

districts of Duncan and Port

Alberni will be known as South

Island forest district. The

district office will be located in

Port Alberni. As announced in

last month's Forest Service

News, Tim Sheldon will be the

district manager. A sub-district

office will remain open in

Duncan and Neil Robertson

will be manager of that office.

Ministry Shapes Global Forest Policy

British Columbia is helpingto shape global forest pol­

icy through participationin a series of high-level interna­tional meetings. Vicky Berry,manager of the Ministry ofForests' international relationsunit, represented B.C., alongwith Quebec, on the officialCanadian delegation to thefourth and final meeting of theUnited Nations Inter-govern­mental Panel on Forests.

"In Canada, the provinces havejurisdiction over the forests," saidBerry, "so it is essential that theprovinces are involved in settingglobal forest policy. I feel goodbeing able to represent B.C. inthis regard."

The panel was set up in 1995 to

discuss contentious issues sur­rounding the establishment ofan international convention onforests, similar to agreements onclimate change and biodiversitysigned at the 1992 Earth Summitin Rio.

Meeting this past February inNew York, the panel reachedagreement on a number of keyinternational policy issues,including criteria and indicatorsof sustainable forest managementand the role of traditional eco­logical knowledge in forest man­agement. In earlier meetings, thepanel discussed certification andeco-labelling, the role of land-useplanning in forest management,and international issues such astechnology transfer and interna­tional financing of sustainableforestry in developing countries.

The major outstanding issue iswhether or not to start negotia-

tions towards a global conven­tion on forests. This will bedecided in June when the UnitedNations General Assembly meetsto review progress since the 1992Earth Summit. Canada, backedby the European Union,Malaysia and Indonesia, willencourage the assembly to beginnegotiations.

"We expect the next few monthsto be crucial to the developmentof international forest policy," saysBerry. "Discussions on forests atthe UN and other internationalarenas are important to B.C.because they establish groundrules for sustainable forest man­agement that could affect futuretrade in forest products."

The definition of sustainableforest management developed bythe panel is in line with thevalues and priorities placed onforests in B.C., including com­munities, biodiversity, and publicparticipation. At the Februarymeeting, B.C. was identified as aleader in sustainable forest man­agement, and special mentionwas made of B.C. in reports onland-use planning and communi­ty forestry.

International meetings provideopportunities for B.C. to share

information on its approach to

sustainability with influentialtrading partners in Europe, theUnited States, Asia and aroundthe world. While no one has thesingle, right answer on the bestforest management, RC. isgaining international recognitionfor practising forestry in a waythat benefits communities andthe environment.

"Canadians are so good atkicking themselves and so badabout feeling good about whatwe're doing," said Berry. "B.C.'sland-use planning processes,Forest Practices Code, ProtectedAreas Strategy and ForestRenewal BC have attracted posi­tive international attention."

The international relations unitpromotes B.C.'s interests aroundthe world, helps develop B.C.positions on international tradeand forest policy, and coordinatesinternational communicationson B.C. forests and relatedissues. The unit receives supportand assistance from ForestService staff around the provinceand at main office.

Submitted by Jenny Fraser,International Relations Unit

CorrectionIn our coverage of the

Kamloops Bonspiel in the

March Forest Service News,

Curt Clarke of Victoria notes

that Roger Painter was a key

player in fundraising efforts

for the bonspiel.

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Staff eornings and goingsThere continues to be a lot of moving around in the Forest

Service over the past year.

• After 36 years with the Forest Service, Bob Miller, district

manager at Kamloops forest district retired at the end of

March. In a final farewell message to Forest Service Staff,

Miller said that "it is time to move on to other things in life.

I am sure all you talented people will admirably meet the

challenges ahead, and capably lead the organization into

the future."

• The new district manager at Kamloops forest district, Doug

Konkin, is expected to start his new job in the early summer.

Konkin, who has been with the Forest Service for 14 years and

is presently district manager at 100 Mile House, is no stranger

to Kamloops. He previously worked as regional staff manager

at the regional office.

• Gerry Kennah began his new job as district manager at

Chilliwack district on March 24. Gerry, who was district

manager in Duncan has been with the Forest Service for

23 years.

• Gordon Larsen recently retired after 28 years with the Forest

Service. Larsen started his career in 1969 in the engineering

branch working on Libby Pondage.ln 1971, he moved to the

Mica Pondage, where he worked out of Golden, Valemount

and Revelstoke. He was officially assigned to Golden in 1978

where he has worked in engineering ever since

This bud'sfor youAfter close to three years, mystint as writer/producer of theForest Service News has come toan end. Of the many newslettersand similar publications I haveproduced for government over thelast nine years, this undertakinghas been among the mostinteresting and enjoyable.

I have become well acquaintedwith the Forest Service, the issuesit faces, and its personnel. I valuethe resulting knowledge andunderstanding. It has instilled inme a great respect for modernforestry, and the expertise anddedication of its practitioners. AndI have no doubt that, given thesame opportunity, even the harsh­est critics would feel the same.

I also want to thank everyonewho set aside their valuable timeto explain their work and itsplace in the big scheme of things.Apparently, considerable stressand adversity has not dampenedyour enthusiasm, dedication andgood nature.

Best wishes to you all.

Ken Kolba produced the ForestService News since June 1994.

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The British Columbia Forest Service News is published on the third Mondayof each month by the public affairs branch.

Mailing Address:

PO Box 9517 Srn Provincial GovernmentVictoria, British Columbia, V8W 9C2Phone: 387-5255, Fax: 387-8485

Contributions are welcome. Please send your comments, suggestions and contributions to:Debbie Parhar, editor, (phone: 250-356-7503, fax: 250-387-8485) at public affairs branch, orAlan Dolan (phone: 250-478-8056, fax 250-478-0367 or Internet adolan@islandnet.com).