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Central and North Coast EBM Implementation - Biodiversity, Mining and Tourism Areas

As part of the North and Central Coast Land Use Decision of February 2006, the Premier announced the creation of 3 land use zones; Protected Areas, Biodiversity, Mining and Tourism Areas (BMTAs) and Ecosystem-based Management Operating Areas.

On January 9, 2009 the government legally established BMTAs after consulting extensively with First Nations and stakeholders.

Approximately 300,000ha of Crown land are designated in 21 BMTAs which are distributed between the North and Central Coast plan areas. It is important to note that BMTAs only apply to public land within BMTA boundaries. All private land and Indian Reserves are excluded from BMTAs.

BMTAs contribute to the conservation of species, ecosystems and seral stage diversity by being located adjacent to existing Conservancies and other types of Protected Areas and by limiting the land uses within the zones. Commercial timber harvesting and commercial hydro-electric power projects are prohibited within BMTAs. Other resource activities and land uses will continue, subject to existing regulations and legislation.

Central Coast BMTAs [PDFs]

North Coast BMTAs [PDFs]

 





 

 

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FrontCounter BC is a one stop service for clients of provincial natural resource ministries and agencies.  Staff can help you with the licenses and permits you need to start or expand a business related to mining, forestry, agriculture, water, land, aquaculture and many others.

Virtual FrontCounter BC gives clients the ability to apply on-line for authorizations. You can update the application you are working on, attach maps and documents to your application, submit and pay for your application and track your online applications.

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The allocation and management of Crown land and coastal marine resources plays a key role in expanding and diversifying the economy, sustaining environmental values, and promoting the health and well-being of all British Columbians.

FLNR administers, allocates, adjudicates, documents and manages Crown land tenures for a number of land programs. As well, FLNR is responsible for promoting adventure tourism, coordinating permitting processes for clean energy projects, creating opportunities to develop and market some Crown land parcels, and developing and implementing land and coastal marine plans and agreements.

Click here for more information on Crown Land Management

In 2008, the BC Government committed to improving consultation and respectful engagement with First Nations.   Benefits of this work—to government, First Nations, proponents, and the public—include enhancing meaningful government-to-government relations with First Nations, creating a positive investment climate by providing certainty and predictability, and reducing the heavy consultation workload for all parties.

The First Nations Initiatives Division (FNID), a division of the Integrated Land Management Bureau, is leading a shift in business to the “Virtual integration” of aboriginal relations.  Virtual Integration is a government initiative to implement common, policies, procedures and tools across all the natural resource agencies.  FNID works with all Natural Resource Agencies to deliver Virtual Integration through two main business lines:

  1. Coordinating interagency consultation with First Nations, comprising i) an aligned policy framework, ii) regional economic development priority setting, including shared business planning and resource sharing, and iii) coordinating multi-authorization project consultation. 
  2. Negotiating strategic agreements with First Nations that will improve the Province’s investment climate, reduce the consultation volume for all parties, create enduring forums for government-to-government engagement and achieve the goals of the Transformative Change Accord.
    http://www.newrelationship.gov.bc.ca/agreements_and_leg/trans_change_accord.html