Message from the Minister of State for Mining
and Accountability Statement

Environmentally responsible mineral exploration and mining has a long history as the backbone of many communities in British Columbia. Mining provides some of the highest paid industrial jobs as well as business opportunities for companies that service the industry and indirect spin-off benefits to communities. As the Minister of State for Mining, I intend to oversee implementation of the new BC Mining Plan, working with industry to balance environmental, economic and community interests — benefitting the people of British Columbia. The BC Mining Plan, released in January of this year, is built on four cornerstones that will guide a successful industry:

1. Strong and enduring relationships with communities and First Nations;
2. Protecting workers and the environment through continued leadership by industry and government in worker safety and environmental stewardship;
3. Global competitiveness through actions to increase investment, streamline regulation and improve geoscience information; and
4. Access to land through improved integration of exploration and mining with other land uses.

Through the implementation of this Service Plan we will support British Columbia's five great goals. We will especially focus on ensuring environmentally sustainable mine development, the continued growth of exploration spending, and the attractiveness of British Columbia to the global mining community. New geoscience and infrastructure investments will pay-off as industry takes a fresh look British Columbia's geology and resources. This increased activity and new mine development will provide significant opportunities for communities and First Nations in the golden decade to come.

I am the Minister of State for Mining and under the Balanced Budget and Ministerial Accountability Act, I am accountable for achieving the following results for 2005/06:

• Develop options for streamlining mine and mineral exploration approval processes to increase global investment in British Columbia's mining sector and present a status report to the Government Caucus Committee on Natural Resources and the Economy.
• Prepare user-friendly guidelines to reflect the environmental standards and regulations used in mining and present the guidelines to the Government Caucus Committee on Natural Resources and the Economy.
• Develop a multi-agency plan that will promote the consistent application of the integrated land use system for exploration and mining in British Columbia and present the plan to the Government Caucus Committee on Natural Resources and the Economy.

Honourable Bill Bennett
Minister of State for Mining

September 2, 2005