The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Industry, Economic Development and Mines Minister Scott Smith has introduced proposed amendments to the Mines and Minerals Act which would eliminate duplications in reporting, help claim holders manage their claims more effectively and provide more efficient administration. "Major amendments were made to the act in 2002," said Smith. "Since then, we have identified items that will streamline administrative processes and give claim holders in the south a greater ability to group claims in order to keep them in good standing." The proposed amendments would: Eliminate duplication in reporting requirements for holders of Crown mineral rights by reducing the number of reports a holder has to make on the same claim. Allow for groupings of non-contiguous mineral claims in the area west of Winnipeg to the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border and from the Canada-U.S. border to Riding Mountain National Park, where Crown holdings are interspersed with private holdings. Claim holders in the south will now have the same ability as claim holders in the north to keep grouped claims in good standing. Clarify the ability of the minister to offset some of the administration costs of the quarry rehabilitation program from the quarry rehabilitation reserve account. These funds come from a levy on aggregate production that is used to rehabilitate abandoned pits and quarries in the province. "These changes are designed to reduce the administrative burden and provide consistency for claim holders throughout the province," said Smith.
