The Government of British Columbia has introduced a two-zone land use system for mineral exploration and mining activities in order to provide certainty regarding access to land for mineral resource development. 

The two-zone system clearly establishes that mineral exploration and development are acceptable (subject to the usual laws that regulate mining) throughout the whole of the province (the mineral zone) except for parks, ecological reserves and lands where mining is prohibited under the Environment and Land Use Act (the protected zone).

A brochure and related series of Questions and Answers (Q&As) have been developed jointly by the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources and the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management to explain this two-zone land use system and how it is implemented.
 

Link to Brochure PDF (199.17 KB)
Link to Q&As PDF (130.43 KB)

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader
 

More information on Provincial Land Use Planning Processes