More topics

Mine permitting: Additional authorizations and shared interest in land

Last updated on February 25, 2025

In addition to authorization under the Mines Act, additional permits or approvals may be required under other legislation. 

It is also your responsibility to communicate with overlapping and potentially affected tenure holders. 

On this page

Legislation

Additional mining legislation

Key legislation and regulations for mineral exploration and mining in B.C.

​​Other permits or authorizations

It is the permittee’s responsibility to obtain and comply with all relevant authorizations. No work may commence until you have received approval and associated permit(s).

Other activity based authorizations may include:  

  • Agricultural Land Commission Act 
  • Coal Act
  • Environmental Management Act
  • Explosives Act
  • Fisheries Act
  • Forest Act
  • Forest and Range Practices Act
  • Heritage Conservation Act
  • Islands Trust Act
  • Land Act
  • Migratory Birds Convention Act  
  • Mineral Tenure Act
  • Mining Right of Way Act
  • Public Health Act
  • Species At Risk Act
  • Water Sustainability Act
  • Wildfire Act 
  • Wildlife Act 

 

Engaging with other tenure holders

The Province issues leases, licences, and permits (tenures) for commercial use of natural resources. Sometimes, applications exist over the same area of land.

It is the permittee's responsibility to communicate with overlapping and potentially affected tenure holders. These conversations will help reduce conflicts.

Examples of other tenure holders may include:

  • Community forest tenure-holders
  • Energy tenure holder (petroleum, natural gas, transmission line, wind energy, or other)
  • Forest licensee's
  • Guide outfitters
  • Range tenure holder
  • Recreation or tourism operators
  • Trapline owner
  • Water licensee
  • Woodlot licensee

Steps to effective coordination

Expand All | Collapse All
 

Research

Research your area of interest to learn about other interests in the land.

Use online applications and tools to assist with discovery.

 

Communicate

Share your plans using different approaches. Communicate openly and often. Share information as soon as possible. Some plans may need to be modified to accommodate other tenure holders.

 

Understand perspectives

Listen carefully to seek an understanding. Ask questions and confirm what you heard.

 

Shared responsibility

Understand the broader interests of all tenure holders. All parties need to consider accommodations in everyone's best interest.

 

Legislation, regulations and conditions of tenure

Understand the legal implications and provisions in various authorizations. Each authorization conveys a specific set of rights, privileges or obligations. A general understanding of a tenure's legislation and regulations is helpful. 

 

Agreements

Make clear and meaningful agreements. Anticipate the future and consider how disputes may be resolved. The format, detail and formality can vary from a handshake to a lengthy legal document.

 

Documentation

Document and monitor agreements to promote compliance. Pay attention to timelines and remedy issues quickly. Ensure all interested parties and/or staff are aware of agreements and expectations.

 

Be flexible

Adapt when needed to demonstrate commitment. 

 

Online applications and tools

There are tools available to help identify overlaps. These tools can be used by themselves or together. 
 
The provincial government offers a variety of free web-based mapping programs and tools to the public. You can use these mapping programs to create maps and drawings for your application, or to research the land base for existing interests prior to submitting an application.
Expand All | Collapse All
 

iMapBC

iMapBC is a mapping platform to view and analyze datasets stored in the government spatial database known as the BC Geographic Warehouse (BCGW).

The ministry has identified several layers of interest and pre-populated them for ease of use.

 

Explore by location

To learn who the overlapping tenure holders are use the tool called Explore by Location. Note: Explore by location is currently unavailable.

 

Contacts for First Nation consultation areas

Create an SOE report (spatial overlay engine) of contacts for First Nation consultation areas based on a point or area submitted.

 

Title Overlap Report (TOR)

If you are the owner or agent of a claim, use Mineral Titles Online (MTO) to generate a Title Overlap Report. This report identifies overlaps between a title and First Nations interests, mining reserves, legal and administrative interests, other tenures and other resource interests. 

This information may be more useful for early engagement upon acquiring a mineral title. If proposing a smaller work area as part of a NOW application, you may wish to use another method to ensure you understand the key groups for that particular area.

 

Instructions for using the online tools

The following instructions are provided to help proponents use the online applications and tools to discover overlapping interests.

For some data sources, client contact information is provided in the dataset. For other data sources, you must contact the data custodian or data steward to request contact information.

Using the BC Data Catalogue, search for the dataset of interest and view the contact information.

Expand All | Collapse All
 

iMapBC

In your web browser, launch iMapBC using the pre-populated overlapping tenures iMapBC link or adding layers individually to the application. 

Locate your area of interest:

  • Use the navigation tools within the iMapBC
  • Add your own geospatial file submitted with your Notice of Work application

Use the "identify" tool on various layers to review the attributes.

 

Explore by Location

Note: Explore by location is currently unavailable.

Launch the Explore by Location application in your web browser. Follow the steps on screen.

Step 1: Select 'Mining' from the Category of Interest

Step 2: Find your location

  • Use the navigation tools within the application

Step 3: Define your area of interest

  • Draw a boundary using the tools
  • Add your own geospatial file submitted with your Notice of Work application
  • Use the geomark URL provided in the application acknowledgement letter from your regional mines office

Step 4: Evaluate your Area of Interest

  • Generate a Summary Report
  • Generate Detailed Report (recommended)

Download your detailed report. 

 

Title Overlap Report (TOR)

You must be the owner or agent of the title to generate a TOR (PDF, 39.6KB) in Mineral Titles Online (MTO).

In your web browser, launch MTO. 

  • Logon to MTO
  • Go to the Reports tab
  • Request Title Overlap Report

 

 

 

Contact information

Mines contact information:

  • Regional mines offices
  • Mines incident reporting
  • Mines inquiries and complaints
  • Geological survey
  • Major mines
  • Mine health and safety
  • Mines auditing
  • Mineral titles