Introduction
In this regulation:
Act means the Wildlife Act;
applicant means a person who makes application to the director to take the CORE program;
CORE certificate means a certificate specified by the director that is issued to a person who successfully completes the CORE program;
CORE program means the Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education program established under section 2 (1);
CORE registration form means a CORE program application and registration form specified by the director;
designated agency means a group or organization appointed under section 2 (4) to operate the CORE program;
examiner means a person appointed under section 3 (2) as a CORE program examiner.
There is established in British Columbia a hunter safety training course called the Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education program.
The CORE program consists of a practical firearm handling test, and a written examination on all of the following subjects:
outdoor ethics;
firearm handling;
hunting regulations;
animals of British Columbia;
birds of British Columbia;
outdoor survival and safety;
hunter heritage, conservation, and wildlife management.
The director must approve the content and format of the practical firearms handling test and the written examination before an examiner may administer the test and examination.
The director may appoint any group or organization as a designated agency to operate the CORE program under terms the director may specify, and may suspend or cancel the appointment for just cause including, but not limited to, a violation of the Act or regulations or failure to comply with the CORE program standards.
CORE Program Coordinators and Examiners
A designated agency may appoint one or more persons it considers appropriate as CORE program coordinators, and may suspend or cancel the appointment for just cause including, but not limited to, a violation of the Act or regulations or failure to comply with the CORE program standards.
A designated agency may, in accordance with standards specified by the director, appoint as an examiner any person it considers appropriate, and may suspend or cancel the appointment for just cause including, but not limited to, a violation of the Act or regulations or failure to comply with the CORE program standards.
If a designated agency suspends or cancels a person's appointment as an examiner under subsection (2), that decision may be appealed to the director who may deny the appeal, or allow the appeal and reinstate the person's appointment.
A designated agency must ensure that each examiner receives a copy of this regulation at the time of appointment as an examiner.
A designated agency whose appointment is suspended or canceled under section 2 (4) must, at the request of the director, promptly submit to the director all records, certificates and other documentation relating to its appointment under this regulation.
An examiner whose appointment is suspended or canceled under section 3 (2) must promptly submit to the designated agency all records, certificates and other documentation relating to the examiner's duties as an examiner.
Examinations and Certification
If an applicant attempts the CORE program test and examination referred to in section 2 (2), the examiner must complete the applicable part of the CORE registration form.
On successful completion by an applicant of the CORE program, the examiner must
complete the applicable part of the CORE registration form for an applicant who is eligible to receive a CORE certificate, and
provide the original of the completed CORE registration form to the applicant.
If an applicant forwards to the designated agency the original of the CORE registration form evidencing that the applicant successfully completed the test and examination referred to in section 2 (2), together with the CORE certificate fee referred to in section 7 (b), the designated agency must issue the applicant a CORE certificate.
The CORE certificate issued under subsection (1), or the completed original copy of the CORE registration form, is
a document evidencing that the person named on it has successfully completed an examination on conservation, outdoor recreation and safety for the purposes of
section 17 (1) of the Act, and
section 9 (1) (a) of B.C. Reg. 8/99, the Hunting Licensing Regulation,
a document evidencing that the person named on it has successfully completed the CORE program for the purposes of section 9 (3) of this regulation, and
a licence for the purposes of sections 81 and 82 of the Act.
The prescribed fees for the CORE program are as follows:
$10, payable by an applicant, for the administration of each CORE program test and examination;
$30, payable by an applicant who successfully completes the CORE program, for the issue of the CORE certificate.
An examiner must keep for a period of 2 years from the date that the test or examination was administered by the examiner.
the practical firearms test sheet used for every successfully completed practical firearms handling test, and
a copy of every successfully completed written examination answer sheet,
Miscellaneous
The director may establish standards and approve procedures related to the operation of the CORE program.
If the procedures referred to in subsection (1) are approved and provided to a designated agency, the designated agency must ensure that all examiners receive a copy of them.
The director may order a person whose hunting licence has been cancelled, or who has been prohibited from hunting, to successfully complete the CORE program before that person may again obtain a hunting licence or hunt.
The director may exercise any power or duty of a designated agency.