| Canadian Mining Laws Need Overhaul | 03 June 08 |
 Escalating conflicts with First Nation communities over mining claims is attributed to outdated mining laws; a new report released identifies essential changes required to modernize the 150-year-old system. The International Boreal Conservation Campaign (IBCC) and the Canadian Boreal Initiative released Mining Exploration Conflicts in Canada's Boreal Forest. It contains a set of maps outlining the impact of mining claims which conflict with Aboriginal land claims, private lands, proposed protected areas, and threaten woodland caribou habitat. "Social and environmental objectives - such as resolving Aboriginal land claims and ensuring conservation planning before development - should take precedence. But under the current system, mineral rights are given first priority," said Larry Innes of the Canadian Boreal Initiative. Over a half-million square kilometers or ten percent of Canada's boreal forest regions has been staked for mining. The maps show claims in mines in Canada's Boreal Forest; Claims and Aboriginal and Treaty Rights in Canada's Boreal Forest; and Mineral Exploration and Actives Mines in Caribou Ranges in Canada's Boreal Forest. The maps released were:
View May 27, 2008 Canada.com article View May 14, 2008 CBI press release View May 14, 2008 IBCC Mining Report: Mining Exploration Conflicts in Canada's Boreal Forest View May 18, 2008 Canadian Mining Journal article View May 14, 2008 Canada.com article Sources: IBCC, CBI, Canada.com, Canadian Mining Journal |
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