Surface Rights Board Notices - Mineral Titles

The Surface Rights Board provides dispute resolution services to landowners, companies, and free miners that have rights to explore for, develop, or produce coal, minerals, or placer minerals.

Surface rights board decisions 

In British Columbia, most landowners do not own subsurface rights to coal, minerals, or placer minerals.

The majority of subsurface rights are owned by the Crown. The government can issue rights to resource companies and free miners for the exploration or development of subsurface resources on private property. The resource company or free miner must compensate landowners for loss or damage caused by using their land for these purposes.

In disputes between a resource company or free miner and a landowner, the Chief Gold Commissioner will attempt to resolve the dispute prior to any application to the Board.

More information about mining related Boards decisions is available from the Surface Rights Board website.