BC Government - Mines Permit Fees

For many Placer Miners this is a recreational activity, allowing us to enjoy the beauty of our surroudings while at the same time looking forward in anticipation to finding some colour in our pans or perhaps even a small nugget !! All of us treat the land with the greatest respect. I urge the Government to reconsider charging exhorbitant fees for Placer Mining and resort to other methods of increasing their revenues !!

#42: Badgerwaxer - Re: Re:

"Actually, as I already posted, MTO told me that even for hand work, using a pump, requires a NOW to be submitted.

It is the PERMIT that they decide to either give you or tell you "officially" that no permit is required."

 

Actually, there is a lot of grey in this area. MTO reps have also told others that this is not needed, even in writting. (and also from leadership in the MTO)  It seems that perhaps the MTO should actually ammend their rules and guidelines to specifically address this so its clear to everyone and no confusion will occur.

I feel with this fee in place it will discourage people from even thinking about working claims. This is taking away from small companies trying to make honest money. If you don't have smaller companies you take away from local jobs.

Last year, I spent over $60,000 purchasing equipment, supplies and paying a bond to undertake exploratory work. I'm prepared to quit if the proposed NOW application fee schedule proceeds.

This is an attempt by bureaucrats to stop mining in BC. Call it by Its real name: It is robbery by the
government.

another attempted money grab

We are a family of four. I have two children 5 and 7. We are a Single Income family. I have a single cell placer claim which recently my partner and I have applied for a NOW. The staggering cost of the deposit for Timberwest and CRD keys, the cost of the purchase of our dredge, the cost of the 5000.00 bond for reclamation, the cost of the various other equipment/tools for dredging/sluicing/panning, and this new proposed 5000.00, would bring our start-up costs to a staggering 15,000.00 and above. I find this rediculous and outrageous in the fact that our operation is purely based on speculation and extreme high risk, with no way to prove that there is any economic placer deposit present on our 1 cell placer claim until we actualy start to mine it.

I think the ministry (BC Government) should look at charging nothing until the exploration phase has proven a viable economic placer deposit. My single income does not allow for a huge initial investment based on a extremely high risk venture with the amount of taxes we already pay and not to mention the high cost of living in this beatiful Province of BC.

I oppose the fee increases proposed.

Take away from the citizen! wake up canadians! Enact the river law again,thats what it took last time These govt. employees should be fired immidiately and their pensions with-drawn.Their so busy trying to avoid their duties to the canadians,they have lost all concept and realitys. down with high taxation and down to MTO. Give minerals back to the people and not big business.Keep the great canadian dream alive.Are fore-fathers, fought for this land.Goverenment is selling out our last resourses.WE DEMAND, ARE LAND RIGHTS BACK,NOW!!!!! SIGNED: MONTY MILLER

if these fees go ahead it will be the down fall of the mining in the province I am thinking of going to the Yukon we spent 1.2 mill last year and dont need anymore fees

Taxing production is fine, taxing permits is extortion - the workers who do this are already getting paid (by us) to perform, & paid well.

This will kill small scale mining in B.C. Stop this money grab on the little guys. Where do we come with the money. We already pay taxes for government services.

A class for testing and very small sacle needs to be added for 1000 sq ft or less at $250 or only charge fees for NOW over 1 acre.

Just another cash grab for a hands in your pocket Goverment !

These Mine Permit Fees are a really bad idea and if they go ahead as proposed they will end up losing mining jobs and stop small scale Placer Miners from exploring and testing new ground. New Fees as already been put in place in the past few years by the BC government for the acquisition and renewal of claims so there is absolutely no need for new fees. This is just pure greed and typical of the BC Liberal government and if they go ahead with this it may end up costing them there re election. If they want new revenue why not get it by taxing new fees on the logging company who are clear cutting and raping the BC landscape with impunity. Anteek, BC Free Miner

these fees are going to chasse away legitamite miners and increase people doing illegal mining.

#65leave the loggers alone. they have it tough enough.dont give the government any more dunb ideas.adding unnecessary fees to any industry is wrong period.

#63: -

NO FEES PLEASE, WE HAVE PAID ENOUGH.

#67: -

I COULD NOT AGREE MORE, THE LOGGERS HAVE A TOUGH ENOUGH TIME, HOWEVER I BELIEVE WHAT THE INDIVIDUAL MAY HAVE BEEN GETTING AT IS THE FORESTRY INDUSTRY WITHIN GOVERNMENT IS VERY TOP HEAVY WITH RESOURCES THAT ARE NOT BEING USED (HENCE THE LOGGERS ARE HAVING A HARD TIME) SO INSTEAD OF PAYING PEOPLE TO SIT ON THEIR TOUCHE AND DO NOTHING, AND HAVE ALL OF THESE DEPARTMENTS DOING NOTHING, SINCE IT IS ALL UNDER NATURAL RESOURCES, THE MINING SECTOR IS UNDER FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT, SO THEY SHOULD TAKE THE SURPLUS FUNDING AND ELIMINATE THOSE JOBS IN THE GOVERNMENT THAT ARE SIMPLY PAYCHECKS AND PUT THAT MONEY TOWARDS ISSUING SOWS.  IT IS A BUREAUCRACY THE GOVERNMENT CREATED, AND RATHER THAN DIG INTO OUT POCKETS, IN ORDER TO KEEP THE BUDGET BALANCED THEY SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO WHERE THEY ARE WASTING DOLLARS - IN OTHER WORDS - PERHAPS IT'S TIME WE HAD A GOVERNMENT OF TRANSPARENCY.

 

This is a wonderful environmental pursuit for people of all ages...why take it out of reach with an exorbitant fee!

"strengthening the economy and creating an atmosphere for investment is the focus of the present government" ( i wonder who is on the end of that shovel.)

How about some of the ministry people come to the KEG conference and explain their resoning for this tax grab....

according to the Fraser Institute Survey of mining friendly jurisdictions, B. C. is
the LEAST desirable place to explore in Canada.
Is the problem political or bureaucratic or both?

google;[ b.c mineral exploration and mining strategy 2012].this latest attempted cash grab flies in the face of this strategy.the minister of mines should be fired on the spot as well as all the others under him that dont have a clue about how to become mining friendly.

These proposed fees will effectively stop many prospectors from taking the next step towards devoping a viable claim and contributing to the local economy and provincial tax base. I believe many people, myself included spend an appreciable amount of after tax dollars in B.C each year to do exploration work on their claims already. I fail to see how these proposed changes will promote small business and the economy in general.