The Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources was established in 1908 under its first name, the Dept. of Lands (Department of Lands Act, SBC 1908, c. 31). Before 1908 the agencies responsible for the functions of the Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water resources were: (1) the Dept. of Lands and Works (Crown lands management, sales, pre-emptions and leases, lands surveying and mapping, timber inspection, forest protection and log scaling), and (2) the Dept. of Mines (water rights in regards to mining operations). The Dept. of Lands, headed by the Chief Commissioner of Lands, was given responsibility for public lands and water rights, and all matters connected therewith. (SBC 1908, c. 31, s. 5). These responsibilities included: (1) the management of all public lands, as per the Land Act, (RSBC 1897, c. 113); (2) administration of water rights, as per the Water Clauses Consolidation Act, (RSBC 1897, c. 191) [in 1892 by means of the Water Privileges Act (SBC 1892, c. 47), the government had reserved to itself the right to manage all water resources in the province that were unreserved and un-appropriated as of April 23, 1892]; and (3) land settlement programs for returned soldiers. In 1909, the enactment of the Water Act (SBC 1909, c. 48) resulted in the creation of the Water Rights Branch of the Dept. of Lands, under the management of the Chief Water Commissioner (re-named Comptroller of Water Rights in 1912). This legislation also resulted in the creation of Water Districts under the management of District Engineers, who would be responsible for management in the field of the Branchs responsibilities. In 1911, the Timber Department, including Timber Inspectors, forest protection services and log scaling operations, was transferred from the Dept. of Public Works to the Dept. of Lands. In 1912, the management of timber resources was formally added to the departments responsibilities with the enactment of the Forest Act (SBC 1912, c. 17). To accommodate these new responsibilities, the Forest Branch, under the Chief Forester, was created in the Dept. of Lands. In 1945, the Dept. of Lands was renamed the Dept. of Lands and Forests (Department of Lands Act Amendment Act, SBC 1945, c. 45). At this time, the department was reorganized into two branches, the Lands Service and the Forests Service. In 1962, the Dept. of Lands and Forests was renamed the Dept. of Lands, Forests, and Water Resources (Department of Lands and Forests Act Amendment Act, SBC 1962, c. 22). At this time, the department was reorganized into three branches, the B.C. Lands Service, the B.C. Forest Service, and the B.C. Water Resources Service. On December 23, 1975, the Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources ceased to exist. The government established two new agencies, the Dept. of Forests and the Dept. of Environment, to replace it (OIC 3838/75). All activities associated with the forestry function were transferred to the Dept. of Forests (OIC 3849/75, 3868/75). With one minor exception, the remaining functions of the Dept. of Lands, Forests, and Water Resources were transferred to the Dept. of Environment (OIC 3843/75, 3844/75, 3846/75, 3852/75). In 1976, these organizational changes were reiterated in legislation (SBC 1976, c. 18).
The fonds consists of records generated by the Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources and its subordinate branches, divisions and agencies while fulfilling the departments mandate of managing the public land, forest and water resources of British Columbia. Subordinate branches, divisions and agencies which created records contained within the fonds include the Lands Branch/Lands Service, various Land District offices, Surveys Branch/Surveys and Mapping Service, Geographic Division, Topographic Division, Forest Branch/Forest Service, various ranger stations and Forest District offices, the Forest Protection, Public Information and Education, and Forest Research Divisions, Timber Inspector, Water Rights Branch, Board of Investigation, various Water District offices, and the Inspector of Dykes. Many records were created under the departments earlier names, the Dept. of Lands and the Dept. of Lands and Forests and by the predecessor agency, the Dept. of Lands and Works. The specific lands management activities which generated records contained in the fonds include: sales and leases of publicly-owned land; awarding and canceling leases for the use of publicly-owned land; administering land grant, pre-emption, and settlement programs, as per the Land Act, 1897, South African Veterans Land Grant Act, 1901, B.C. Soldiers Homestead Act, 1916, Pre-emptors Free Grants Act, 1916, Veterans Land Settlement Act, 1944, Vancouver Island Settlers Rights Act, 1904; management of the University Endowment Lands, as per the University Endowment Lands Administration Act, 1925; conferring coal and petroleum prospecting licenses, as per the Coal and Petroleum Act, 1911 and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Act, 1944; conferring special miners permits; records generated by topographical and cadastral surveying activities performed by the Surveys Branch; and records of map sales by the Geographic Division. The specific forest management activities which generated records contained in the fonds include: Forest District fire protection and forest ranger services, grazing range management as per the Grazing Act, 1919, timber surveying, inspection and investigation, granting various types of timber and wood pulp permits, bridge and trail construction in forest reserves, forest research, forest ranger education, efforts at lumber market expansion, log scaling, and public relations. The specific water resources management activities which generated records contained in the fonds include: investigating and resolving conflicting water rights claims, issuing and canceling water rights permits, surveying water resources of specific rivers, streams and lakes, managing water resources, overseeing irrigation and reclamation projects performed by public irrigation corporations, granting permission for and monitoring water works and water power projects as per the Water Clauses Consolidation Act, 1897, the Water Act, 1909, and the Water Act, 1914, dykes inspection and administration of the Dewdney, West Nicomen, Sumas and South Westminster drainage, dyking and development districts, as per the Drainage, Dyking, and Development Act, 1918. Many of the records have been retained in the Government Records (GR) accession units in which they were received by BC Archives. The records are made up of: official and semi-official correspondence of the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, the Chief Commissioner of Lands, Surveyor-General, Chief Geographer, Chief Forester, Timber Inspector, and the Comptroller of Water Rights; lot, land and township registers; various types of licenses and certificate; leases, licenses, and permits; survey records; operational and technical reports; land sales and lease records; manuals; applications for various types of land, forests and water resource leases; operational records; minutes of meetings; inventories; financial records; forest and water resource research data; case files; lists; capital equipment records; indexes to various types of textual and cartographic records; water rights and forestry maps; forest reserves and timber licenses atlas; architectural and lot plans; photographs depicting a wide variety of forestry-related activities; a large body of photographs taken by topographical surveying parties operating across southern and central British Columbia; and microfilm of textual and cartographic records. The large majority of records were distributed to successor agencies of the Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources upon the break-up of the Department in 1975. From these agencies, they were later transferred to BC Archives.
The records that make up this fonds were transferred to BC Archives in many different accessions. The majority were transferred after 1975 from the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Forests, the Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housing, or the Legislative Library. Some Forests Branch records came to the BC Archives through the Ministry of Forests' Project '87 program, which had obtained many of them from the BC Forest Museum. Records transferred to the BC Archives before 1975 were received from the Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources. Please refer to individual (GR) descriptions for the CustodialHistories of specific accessions.
These records are subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and access may be restricted. Please contact the BC Archives to determine the access status of these records.
FindingAids are available for a number of textual and cartographic records accessions and series descriptions. Please consult the individual Government Records and Cartographic Materials descriptions for details. Descriptions of individual visual materials can be found through the BC Archives Visual Records catalogue.