Forest and Environment News:

Safety in the Forests – The Ministry of Forests and Range, including BC Timber Sales, is committed to improving forest safety and safe worksites. The ministry subscribes to the Health and Safety Accord of the British Columbia Forest Industry, which states that serious injuries and fatalities are preventable. See the Action Plan.

Forest Ecosystems – Future Forest Ecosystems of B.C. is a Ministry of Forests and Range initiative exploring opportunities to adjust our approach to forest management in response to rapidly changing conditions in our forest ecosystems. See Future Forests.

New Interior Log Grades – Effective April 1, 2006, the Ministry of Forests and Range will introduce new log grades for the Interior to better reflect the quality of timber affected by the mountain pine beetle. For more information and a table showing the new grades see: Log Grades.

Softwood Lumber Trade Update – CVD Duties: On Friday, March 17, the NAFTA CVD Investigation Panel confirmed the decision of the Department of Commerce to find a de minimus (zero) rate on subsidy. This is a case ending decision, however, the U.S. Administration has until April 27 to request establishment of an Extraordinary Challenge Committee. In the absence of such a request the CVD Order should be revoked. The position of the U.S. Administration is that cash deposits are not refunded retroactively. This outrageous position currently presides over U.S. $4.4 billion in cash deposits. Canada will be arguing the refund issue at the Court of International Trade on April 4. For more information please see the following websites: BC Lumber Trade Council, Government of Canada or Government of BC.

WATCH FOR:

• Forests and Range Statutes Amendment Act, 2006 – The bill, 2006 Bill 9, was introduced March 8, 2006 and will create a forest revenue audit program enabling the Ministry of Small Business and Revenue to inspect and audit records to ensure correct stumpage has been collected. Some other changes to forestry statutes include:
  • extending the deadline for timber reallocation under the Forestry Revitalization Act to March 31, 2008, to allow more time for First Nations consultation;
  • updating the Forest and Range Practices Act to strengthen the government’s ability to impose remediation orders, manage reforestation obligations for some short-term licences, and enable licensees to operate under approved cutting permits after Dec. 31, 2006;
  • amending the Forest Act to streamline the administration of tenures, including the forestry licence to cut;
  • strengthening the Wildfire Act by clarifying fire control responsibilities of forest licensees, and ensuring prompt fire fighting by licensees through appropriate compensation and insurance coverage; and
  • changing the Ministry of Forests Act to the Ministry of Forests and Range Act to reflect the importance of range management in the ministry’s mandate.
  See a version of the first reading bill – Forests and Range Statutes Amendment Act, 2006.

Labour and Company News:

New Guide to the Provincial Sales Tax – The Small Business Guide to Provincial Sales Tax (PST) is a new guide for all businesses operating in British Columbia. The guide provides general PST information, such as who needs to register, when general exemptions apply, and how to charge and collect the PST. See: Guide.

Business Licence Handbook – Staples McDannold Stewart has updated their Business Licence Handbook that contains a list of the Provincial and federal Acts that require a certificate or other evidence of competence for trades and occupations. See: Handbook.

Labour Bulletin – For Staples McDannold Stewart's Labour Bulletin with an article on an employer's duty of fairness when dismissing, see: duty of fairness article.

Local Government News:

New Funding Opportunity for Municipal Solid Waste Projects – The Green Municipal Fund (GMF) has a Municipal Solid Waste funding opportunity to offer municipal governments and their partners. The Government of Canada has endowed the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) with $550 million to establish the GMF to provide a long-term, sustainable source of low interest loans and grants for municipal governments and their partners. The Municipal Solid Waste RFP has been designed to encourage waste diversion from landfill sites. For more information see New Funding Opportunity.

WATCH FOR:

• Community Services Statutes Amendment Act – The bill, 2006 Bill 10, was introduced March 20, 2006 and affects several provincial statues including the Vancouver Charter, the Community Charter and the Local Government Act. Please see the news release or a version of the first reading bill.
• Interest Rate Regulation – This recently deposited regulation under the Land Tax Deferment Act will be effective April 1, 2006. The interest rate on residential property tax deferred for the semi-annual period starting April 1, 2006 is 3 percent.

Motor Vehicle News:

Motor Vehicle Dealers – The Consumer Taxation Branch now has a webpage for Motor Vehicle Dealers. This page contains information for dealers of new and used motor vehicles, including links to relevant bulletins, Frequently Asked Questions, and the new bulletin for calculating the dealer-use formulas. See Motor Vehicle Dealers webpage.