Environment and Land Use Act Orders and No Registration Reserves for Northwest and Northcentral B.C.

Last updated on June 4, 2025

In support of this work, the Province has established 2 Environment and Land Use Act (ELUA) orders and 3 mineral and/or placer no registration reserves (NRR) over portions of the broader planning area.

Effective June 3, 2025, new mining claims cannot be registered (tenuring pause) for a 12-month period in these areas.

Summary of tenuring pause

The orders and NRRs will remain in place for a period of 12 months (mineral tenuring pause). 

Environment and Land Use Act implements legislation as an Order in Council (OIC). No Registration Reserves (NRR) are implemented as B.C. regulations under the Mineral Tenure Act.

Summary of orders and regulations
Order or regulation Description
Northwest ELUA order  Prevents registration of new mineral and placer claims, and the disposition of new coal licenses  
Northcentral ELUA order  Prevents registration of new mineral and placer claims, and the disposition of new coal licenses  
Upper Taku Mineral Tenure reserve (NRR)  Prevents registration of new mineral and placer claims
Tulsequah MTA reserve (NRR)  Prevents registration of new mineral and placer claims
Meziadin MTA reserve (NRR)  Prevents registration of new mineral claims

ELUA orders and NRRs in effect

Mineral and coal deferral area, ELUA orders in place

These orders temporarily pause the registration of new mineral and placer claims, and coal licence dispositions over defined areas in the Northwest and Northcentral B.C.

Mineral and Coal Deferral orders
Location Map of area

Northwest 

OIC 266/2025 (PDF, 23MB)

Image of the area covered by the ELUA order in Northwest B.C.

Northcentral

OIC 265/2025 (PDF, 68.6MB)

Image of the area covered by the ELUA order in Northcentral B.C.

No Registration Reserves in place

Mineral NRRs temporarily prevent the registration of mineral and placer claims over defined areas of the Meziadin River, Upper Taku and Tulsequah watersheds.

No Registration Reserves
Location Map of area

Meziadin River Watershed

Mineral NRR

Mineral Titles Online (MTO) links

 

Meziadin No Registration Reserve

Upper Taku and Tulsequah Watershed

Mineral and placer NRR

Mineral Titles Online (MTO) links

Upper Taku: 

Tulsequah: 

Upper Taku, Tulsequah No Registration Reserve

Related land use planning processes

All land and water planning projects are listed at: https://www.planninginpartnership.ca/projects-list

To learn more about the land use planning process with Tahltan, please visit the Tahltan-BC Land Use Plan website or email TahltanBC_LUP_engage@gov.bc.ca.

To learn more about the land use planning process with TRTFN, please visit the TRT-BC Land Use Plan website or email TlatsiniPlanningProject@gov.bc.ca.

To learn more about the Kaska-BC land use planning project, please visit the Kaska-BC Land Use Plan website or email kaska.LUP@gov.bc.ca.  

To learn more about land use planning in the Meziadin River Watershed, please visit the Meziadin River Watershed Salmon Habitat Conservation Plan or email info.Meziadin@gov.bc.ca.

Claims and mining activities

Frequently Asked Questions for Temporarily Pausing Registration of Claims over Defined Areas in Northwest and Northcentral B.C. (PDF, 125KB)

 

Claim acquisition

The registration of new mineral and placer claims within the designated areas is suspended for 12 months.

During the period of the tenuring pause, the chief gold commissioner will not accept new mineral and placer claim applications in the defined areas.

 

Claim maintenance

You can maintain your claims by conducting work on existing tenures within or adjacent to tenuring pause area, or by making a "cash-in-lieu of work" payment instead of exploration and development.

If you are not able to maintain your claims due to unforeseen factors, you may reach out to Mineral Titles Branch to discuss what actions can be taken to keep the claims in good standing. If you are requesting additional time, please contact Mineral Titles Branch at least 1 month prior to the expiry date of the claim.

If you need assistance with your tenures, please contact Mineral.Titles@gov.bc.ca.

 

Claim forfeiture

Claims can be relinquished by either abandoning the claim through Mineral Titles Online or by not maintaining the claim.

Relinquished claims will not be eligible for re-registration while the orders are in effect.

 

Transfer or purchase of claims

The restrictions do not prevent the transfer of tenures between entities. 

 

Claim applications prior to tenuring pause

The orders that came into effect on June 3, 2025 prevent the registration of mineral and placer claims.

Applications received before June 3, 2025 will be held for processing.

If you want to withdraw your application at any time, please send your request to Mineral.Titles@gov.bc.ca.

Your application fees will be returned to you.

 

Mineral cells in the tenure pause area

Mineral Titles Online can be used to research mineral tenure related information in B.C.

Anyone can open the mineral map or placer map and use the Identify Features tool (PDF, 588KB) to select an area of interest.

Information about the area of interest will be displayed on the right side of the map.

 

Mining activities

All mining activities on existing tenures will continue.

The tenuring pause does not affect existing claim registrations or the ability to develop and carry out work on existing tenures.

Existing tenure-holders can still exercise all rights associated with a title, including applying for a Mines Act permit, conducting mining activities authorized by an existing permit, or selling their claim

Note that if a cell claim in the area expires, the cell cannot be subsequently registered while the OIC or NRR remains in effect. 

 

 

Contact information