A team of 15 Forest Service staff from across the province worked for ten months to develop an Environmental Management System for the Small Business Program, then celebrated its completion in November 2000.

The EMS is a formal plan to identify and manage forest activities that pose a risk to the environment. An EMS is essential for some certification programs, and Grant Parnell, Director of the Small Business program, expects the new system will be adopted province-wide within the next two years.

Implementing the EMS into day-to-day small business operations across the Vancouver Region began February 1, 2001. This first use will let program staff work out bugs before moving on to other regions. Some of the EMS team will stay on to assist Vancouver to work through the implementation phase. Some Vancouver staff, along with others from each region, will help implement the EMS across the province.

For more information see:
wwwinternal.for.gov.bc.ca/hfe/