November 4th, 2010 - Prince George, Agenda ... - Ministry of Forests

Moving Professional Reliance Forward
Chief Forester, Forest Resource Stewardship Division, Ministry of Forests, Mines and Lands
Jim Snetsinger
On November 8, 2004, Jim was appointed to the position of Chief Forester, Forest Resource Stewardship Division. In this position, his
main duties include: allowable annual cut determinations; setting forest stewardship policy; establishing standards for practices; and
providing leadership to the Forest Resource Stewardship Division.
After graduating from the University of Toronto in 1979, with a BSc in Forestry, Jim came to British Columbia in the fall and started his
career with a forestry consulting firm in Prince George. He then went to work with BC Hydro as a forester for approximately five years
before joining the British Columbia Forest Service in 1986.
Jim has worked in various positions in the ministry, including appraisal officer, regional recreation officer, operations manager in the old
Morice Forest District, regional staff manager, regional manager and regional executive director for the Northern Interior Forest Region.
He also served as the regional director for Land and Water BC for a short period in 2002.
While in Smithers, Jim spent 10 years as an active member of the Smithers Minor Hockey Association. He and his wife Joanne have
two children, a son who is a graduate forester and a daughter in university. He loves most sports, but favours golf and tennis.
Welcome and intros
Good morning everyone and welcome to Prince George. It’s my pleasure to be with you here to today to discuss how we can
collectively advance professional reliance in BC.
I’d like to provide you with some background and context for this initiative; what we mean by advancing PR; as well as the vision,
desired outcomes, approach, and leadership of this initiative. I hope to cover these quickly so we can also hear perspectives from
industry by Tom Lewis and Sharron Glover of the ABCFP, and to afford you some opportunity to ask us some questions.
As Minister Bell stated in the video, we’ve been working under a PR model since the FRPA was introduced in 2004. But as you all
know, we’ve all be relying on the advice and work of professionals for decades.
Nonetheless, we still have a ways to go in trusting and accepting the work of forest professionals in BC, irrespective of their employer.
Background and Context
This initiative emerged through the MFR’s business response in January 2010. It is one of several initiatives that seek to enhance the
effectiveness, innovation and competitiveness of BC’s natural resource sector.
Advancing Professional Reliance still remains a key initiative of government regardless of the recent restructuring of the natural
resource sector ministries.
The Coast Forest Region began tackling PR last year, undertaking professional reliance workshops and forming leadership teams in
each district. The ABCFP have also taken steps in improve the understanding of RP and accountability processes for its members.
This provincial PR initiative, and these interior workshops, therefore build on work started by the others over the past few year.
What is advancing professional reliance?
Professional reliance, as defined by the ABCFP, means accepting and relying upon the decisions and advice of professionals who, in
turn, can be held accountable for those decisions and advice.
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