In the early 1980s, the Province of BC initiated a multi-stakeholder, strategic planning process to resolve conflicts between resource development and environmental conservation.
Strategic Land Use Planning has been undertaken at both regional and sub-regional levels.
Three regional land use and 11 sub-regional plans have been completed and are now being implemented. An additional seven sub-regional plans are underway.
The Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management (MSRM) is responsible for strategic land use planning processes, in roles ranging from collection and compilation of resource information, to development of land use plans.
More information on provincial strategic land use initiatives, planning processes and policies is available on the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management,
Resource Planning Division, (formerly the Land Use Coordination Office) website.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) is responsible for implementing strategic land use plans approved by the MSRM. We support responsible stewardship of the province's energy resources in land use planning and management initiatives by:
- ensuring that opportunities for environmentally responsible oil and gas/geothermal exploration and development are recognized by provincial planning agencies;
- providing resource potential and management information for First Nations treaty negotiations.
This responsibility is carried out by the Petroleum Lands Branch staff in Victoria, and is achieved through the Oil and Gas Tenure Review (Link to our Rights and Responsibilities Background page) process and by providing resource and management information to the Aboriginal Relations Branch.
Operational land use planning is carried out by the Oil and Gas Commission.
British Columbia's Protected Areas Strategy evolved in the early 1990s with two primary goals:
- to protect viable, representative examples of natural diversity in BC; and
- to protect special natural, cultural heritage and recreational heritage features.
Protected areas are managed by the Ministry of Water, Air and Land Protection.
Exploration and development of petroleum, natural gas and geothermal resources is not permitted within Protected Areas. An exception to this occurs in several new Protected Areas in northeast BC, which allow direction drilling with no surface access.
Information Letter EMD99-01 provides additional information, including the Protected Areas within the northeast that allow directional drilling.
Special Management Zones (SMZs) are one category of land use zoning that may be designated as part of the provincial land use planning process.
Special Management Zones are areas where the conservation of one or more resource values, such as wildlife habitat, recreation, or community watersheds, are recognized as one of the priorities for resource management. There are no restrictions on oil and gas and geothermal resource development within Special Management Zones, provided that on-the-ground activities follow the objectives and strategies outlined in the land use plan for that Special Management Zones. The one exception is for Special Management Zones within the
Muskwa-Kechika, which require that a pre-tenure plan must be in place prior to issuing new oil and gas tenures. These pre-tenure plans provide guidance for operational activities
