Forests & Oceans for the Future Discussion and News

It would seem that my speculations earlier are coming to fruition.  Two recent emails from government officials would suggest that the writing is on the wall.

From April 16, 2009 email:

Over the last three weeks,  several changes have been made  to the overall Forest Investment Account  funding. This has not impacted the FIA-FSP budget ($8M for 2009/10), but has meant that the MFR was reluctant  to release any information on program budgets until completion of the budget process.   The process is now  finalized and the land-base investment program, which has the majority of FIA funds, has sent out allocation information to licensees this week. The FIA-FSP will follow next week with letters out to proponents of new submissions indicating funding will only be available for the pre-2009/10 ongoing projects.  Letters to proponents with ongoing projects will be sent out by the end of the month.

From April 17, 2009 email:

In previous years at this time the PACs and FNAG would be planning the priority setting process for the next Call for proposals. However, the FIA-FSP budget has been significantly reduced to $8M for 2009/10 (2008/09 budget was $14M) which has an impact on the program governance model and funding for research and extension work.

At the last FSP Board meeting, Melanie Boyce the MFR Executive sponsor for the program outlined some initial changes to the program as a result of the reduced budget. The Forest Science Board will be reduced in size and the new “Steering Committee” will report directly to the Chief Forester.  The role of the working groups will be transferred to the steering committee members and the priority setting process reviewed.  Work done to date, such as the revised strategies and draft strategic plans, will be considered in any future strategies.  The previous work done by the PACs and FNAG will assist with the next Call for proposals resulting in minimal work by these committees during the 2009/10 transition year.

This year will be challenging as we transition to a reduced program level.  I recognize the important part the PACs and FNAG have had in providing technical direction and priorities to the Program over the past 5 years and hope you will support us during the transition period.  Once the new steering committee is formed in late April we will be in a better position to provide more details on transition. For the research projects, we will be sending out letters to proponents next week for those who submitted new proposals to the 2009/10 Call, and letters for ongoing projects by the end of the month.

Taken together the above emails plus other pieces of information suggest a massive centralization of control within the ministry and a reduction of independent research.  This is happening just as the process of  including First Nations and social science research into the forestry research programs was starting to improve.

Rumours have been flying over the state of BC’s Forest Science Program.  Research grant funding was supposed to have been announced March 20th.  However no news has come forward formally.

PriceWaterhouseCooper staff had this to say March 30th (PwC administers the FSP reserach program):

There’s been a delay in sending notifications out to Full Proposal proponents for 20009/10 Call for Proposals, since we (PwC) had not been advised by the government about final project approval and the program budget for the next fiscal year. The notifications will be sent out to all proponents as soon as we receive the information from the government.

Sources close to the government administrators say that FIA-FSP has received word from the Province that its budgets are severely reduced for next year, across all fronts. This includes all committees, all advisory groups, all working groups, and all chairs. All these functions will now be handled internally, within the Province, until the economic climate improves. Effectively, that means these programs ceases to exist as of tomorrow midnight (March 31, 2009).

Sources suggest that discussions will be held in the near future to determine how the functions each committee & chair held will be carried out. There is, however, no idea who will be invited to these discussions.

It would seem that ten years after the Liberal government axed and transforemed Forest Renewal BC into a an industry led program that they have finally decidd to hand the entire program over to industry directly and to remove all aspects that do not meet industry demands.  I hope that this dire prediction is not correct.  However only time will tell.

As an Indigenous person I have often been asked ‘why are you an anthropologist?’  The question is rooted in an Indiana Jones type image of anthropologist roving around the world stealing cultural objects and knowledge form indigenous peoples or ancient societies.  But it’s not a depiction of the real world practice of anthropology as I practice it.  Nor is it more than a shallow reflection of what anthropology may have been.  Anthropology has had a problematic history filled with warts and blemishes. Nonetheless, as we recognize the ills of the past we need to affirm and build upon the strengths of the present.

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