Integrated Forestry Project Update - New Online Application Portal
The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Opportunities, and Rural Development’s (FLNRORD) Integrated Forestry Project (IFP) is introducing a new online tool that will make submitting a wide variety of applications easier, faster, and more convenient.
On Nov. 22, 2021, IFP will be launching the Natural Resource Online Services portal (NROS). The NROS is a web portal that allows licensees to submit certain applications over the Internet. The portal contains smartforms, which are dynamic forms that add the appropriate field of information required to complete the submission. This release incorporates Road Use Permits (RUP) into the Resource Roads System (RRS).
Due to the implementation of the new NROS Portal and the implementation of Road Use Permits (RUP) into the RRS, FLNRORD will need to take some of its servers offline from noon on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, to 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021. The resulting outage will mean a number of resource applications will be impacted during this period and will be temporarily taken offline.
LIST OF APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED THROUGH NROS PORTAL
1. CP amendments
· Administrative amendments
· Postponement
· Postponement rescindment
· Extension
2. Road authorization*
· New RUP
· RUP amendment (NOTE: available mid-January 2022)
· RUP termination (NOTE: available mid-January 2022)
· RP amendment (reassign/retire)
3. Road notifications
· FSR modification works
· Notice of industrial use
· Notification to end maintenance on an RUP
· Road construction commencement
· Road section(s) intent to deactivate
*PLEASE NOTE: Currently, only new RUP applications will be accepted through the NROS portal. RUP applications for amendments and terminations will continue to be submitted manually to forest districts per the current process. RUP amendments and terminations are expected to be included in the NROS portal as of mid January 2022.
TRAINING AND USER GUIDES
Training materials and user guides will be available online on the B.C. government website for:
· NROS Client Portal
· RUP application process
· CP amendments
· Road authorizations (retire/reassign)
· Road notifications
BACKGROUND
The Forest Tenures Branch (FTB), in conjunction with the Information and Innovation Technology (IIT) Division, has been tasked with improving and streamlining the Forest Tenures Administration (FTA) system and the management of the systems used in these processes.
The first phase of IFP, completed in Jan. 2021, included the breakdown of the Forest Tenure Administration (FTA) System into smaller more manageable modules and to remove the roads business and subsequent components to create the dedicated RRS.
IFP is launching the second phase of new and enhanced products on Nov. 22, 2021, with the overall goal of improving and streamlining our core legacy forest tenure systems. This phase incorporates another new online tool, the NROS Portal, and incorporates RUPs into the RRS.
If you have any questions or concerns about the upcoming changes, contact the Forest Tenures Branch at ForestTenuresBranch@gov.bc.ca.
Thank you for your support.
Doug Kelly
Director, Forest Tenures Branch