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Self-assessment reports

About

By legislation, a permit is required for many types of commercial use, land use or land occupancy, and research activities (see specific activities below) that take place in parks and protected areas designated under the Park Act, the Environment and Land Use Act, or the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act.

A permit is required for ecological scientific research and/or educational purposes in ecological reserves established under the Ecological Reserve Act or the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act.

What activities require a park use permit?

Park use permits are different from the permits you may need for front-country camping, moorage, etc. in most parks. For information on permits and fees for camping and visiting parks, including campsite reservations, please see the reservations section.

Uses and activities that will require a permit on lands classified as park, protected area or conservancy are:

  1. Providing commercial recreation services, such as guiding, concessions, rentals, etc. where a fee is charged to the public in exchange for a service. This would include summer or winter activities e.g. guiding hikes, guided camping, providing cross-country skiing, scuba diving instruction, guided kayak/canoe touring, big game guiding, angling guiding, or any other activity where goods or services are being provided to the public for some form of compensation. If the service being provided is one that requires a camping or moorage permit you will still be required to acquire and pay for those permits in addition to the park use permit required for commercial services.
  2. Film production.
  3. Land use or occupancy for commercial, non-commercial, industrial and/or existing residential purposes.
  4. Research activities: collection; monitoring; survey and inventory; and, other research.

 Uses and activities that will require a permit on lands classified as Ecological Reserves:

  1. Ecological scientific research
  2. Educational purposes

How do I apply for a permit?

For information about permit applications or the permitting process, visit the FrontCounter BC website.

If you are uncertain as to whether you require a Park Use Permit for an activity, or for general inquiries about Park Use Permits, please contact FrontCounter BC.

Permit processing

Adjudication of a Park Use Permit application or Ecological Reserve permit application may take up to 140 days.

A permit authorizes an individual, group, or organization to carry out a specific activity and outlines the specific conditions under which the proposed activity may occur.

Permit applications are subject to review under the BC Parks impact assessment process.

The permitted authorization process helps ensure the preservation and maintenance of B.C's protected areas and the recreational and other opportunities they provide.

Park use permittee self-assessment report

There are a number of park use permits throughout British Columbia’s protected areas system allowing for commercial activities within parks, many of which are granted to operators who provide guided adventure tourism services. These operators may provide, at their option, a self-assessment report [PDF] evaluating their contributions to stewardship within parks. The intent of the Self-Assessment Report is to allow operators an opportunity to describe in writing how they have demonstrated leadership and commitment to maintaining the conservation and recreation values and objectives of the park(s) or protected area(s) in which they operate.

Such reports will be made available for public comment for 30 days from the time of posting. Results of the reports and any public comments received will be used when adjudicating the permit held by the operator.

Reports Currently Open for Public Comment

There are no reports open for public comment at this time.

BC Parks regional office contacts

Ministry of Environment – BC Parks

Website: bcparks.ca

  • South Coast Region
    200 – 10470 – 152nd Street
    Surrey BC V3R 0Y3
    Phone: 604-582-5200
    Fax: 604-930-7119 
  • West Coast Region
    2080-A Labieux Road
    Nanaimo BC V9T 6J9
    Phone: 250-751-3100
    Fax: 250-751-3103
  • Thompson Cariboo Region – Thompson
    1259 Dalhousie Drive
    Kamloops BC V2C 5Z5
    Phone: 250-371-6200
    Fax: 250-828-4000 
  • Thompson Cariboo Region – Cariboo
    400 – 640 Borland Street
    Williams Lake BC V2G 4T1
    Phone: 250-398-4530
    Fax: 250-398-4214
  • Kootenay Okanagan Region – Kootenay
    205 Industrial Road G
    Cranbrook BC V1C 7G5
    Phone: 250-489-8540
    Fax: 250-489-8506 
  • Kootenay Okanagan Region – Okanagan
    102 Industrial Place
    Penticton BC V2A 7C8
    Phone: 250-490-8200
    Fax: 250-490-2231
  • Northern Region – Skeena
    3726 Alfred Avenue
    Smithers BC V0J 2N0
    Phone: 250-847-7260
    Fax:250-847-7728 
  • Northern Region – Omineca
    4051-18th Avenue
    Prince George BC V2N 1B3
    Phone: 250-614-9911
    Fax: 250-565-6940
  • Northern Region – Peace
    400, 10003 – 110th Avenue
    Fort St. John BC V1J 6M7
    Phone: 250-787-3411
    Fax: 250-787-3490