Surface Rights Board of British Columbia

The Surface Rights Board (formerly the Mediation and Arbitration Board) resolves conflicts between land owners (holders of surface rights) and companies or individuals (holders of sub-surface rights) seeking access to land to explore for, and develop, sub-surface resources including oil and natural gas, minerals, coal, and geothermal resources. The Surface Rights Board assists with disputes about:

• Terms of entry onto land: the board may authorize entry to private land to explore for, produce or develop subsurface resources.
• Compensation: the amount to be paid to the landowner for a company’s entry, occupation and use of private land.
• Damages: the compensation that should be paid for damage to the land or adjacent land, or loss caused by an entry.
• Rent renegotiation: new rental provisions in a surface lease.
• Compliance: whether the terms of a surface lease or right of entry have been complied with or whether the proposed oil and gas activity in a surface lease is different from what was approved.