Public Access to Crown Land
Public Access to Crown Land
All Crown land is owned by the Province of British Columbia, and the public can undertake certain activities on Crown Land without an authorization.
Contents:
About this Activity Guide
This guide summarizes the most common requirements and recommendations for your chosen activity and is designed to help you submit a complete application. Be aware that this information is for guidance purposes only. |
Eligibility Requirements
Ensure that you meet the eligibility requirements prior to applying.
Requirement | Description |
---|---|
Location | Permission does not apply in following areas: Protected Area; Municipality; Lease; Area where activity will interfere with existing granted rights; Land Act Reserve; Crown land area, including private roads, which are posted or otherwise signed to prohibit all or some activities; and Designated “Application-only Areas” |
Appropriate use | 1. Activities are undertaken in a safe and healthy manner; No permanent structures or buildings are allowed on the land; Campfires are undertaken in a safe manner as per the FLNR “Guide to Campfires and Outdoor Stoves” Activities must be undertaken in manner which respects the environment and wildlife; and the enjoyment of other Crown land users is respected. |
Transitory Activity | Any person may use Crown land for transitory activities such as hiking, rock climbing, boating, skiing, swimming, filming/photography, bird watching, horse-back riding, caving, and snowmobiling, as well as motorcycling, biking and use of all terrain vehicles and other similar activities. |
Camping on Crown land | Any person may camp on Crown land for up to 14 consecutive calendar days. |
Investigative Activities | Any person may use Crown land for data collection and investigative activities including stream gauges, wildlife and habitat inventories, weather stations, non-mechanized soil sampling, investigations in/over the water and other similar activities. |
Aggregate testing | See link to policy for criteria. |
Organized Events | Non-Commercial groups may use Crown land to undertake an Organized Event. See the links section for the various criteria that apply. |
Related Links
Link | Description |
---|---|
Crown Land Use: Permission Policy | The Crown Land Use Policy which provides the details of the land use program being summarized by this document. |
Other Things You Should Know
Archaeology Information
Archaeological
sites are protected under the Heritage Conservation Act
and must not be altered or damaged without a permit issued by
the Archaeology Branch. Information regarding potential risks to
protected archaeological sites may be obtained by submitting an
online data request form to the Archaeology
Branch or by contacting a professional archaeologist via the BC
Association of Professional Archaeologists (www.bcapa.ca) or via local
directories. Visit the Archaeology Branch website for more
information.
BCeID - What Is It and Why Get It?
BCeID is
an online service that allows you to create a user ID and
password to sign in securely to many Government services in
British Columbia. The benefits of having a BCeID account
include:
- Stop and start. Save and return later to complete your application without losing any information previously entered.
- Real time status information. Check the status of your application in real time.
- Access your applications for multiple people (Business BCeID only) to edit or submit your application or check its status. To enroll in this service, visit the BCeID web page: FrontCounter BC - BCeID
Consulting with First
Nations
- The Province is committed to reconciliation as part of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Act.
- The Province is responsible for ensuring adequate and appropriate consultation and accommodation, it may involve the proponent in the procedural aspects of consultation.
Legal
Disclaimer
This guide provides the most current and
accurate information available to the Government of British Columbia
at the time of publishing; however, we make no warranty regarding
the completeness, currency or accuracy of this information. This
information is for guidance purposes only and does not replace
legislated requirements. Each application is unique and
circumstances may result in additional requirements beyond those
included in this guide.
Last Updated: July 14, 2023