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British Columbia has committed to protecting 30% of its lands and waters by 2030. This target is part of Canada’s national conservation goals and aligns with international agreements aimed at halting biodiversity loss. To date, approximately 15.9% of B.C.’s lands and waters are protected through parks and legally designated protected areas. Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) are areas outside formal protected-area designations that deliver effective, long-term conservation, regardless of whether biodiversity conservation is the area’s primary management objective. OECMs can count toward B.C.’s 30×30 commitment if they meet several strict criteria outlined in the Pathway to Canada Target 1 Decision Support Tool, which states: OECMs must have clearly defined borders, provide the ability to prevent, control, and/or manage activities that are incompatible with biodiversity conservation, be long-term in nature, be effective year-round, and deliver demonstrated in-situ biodiversity conservation.
“Due to their typically negative impacts on the in-situ conservation of biodiversity, industrial activities and environmentally damaging infrastructure are not compatible with Protected Areas or OECMs.”
Pathway to Canada Target 1: Decision Support Tool for the identification of Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs).
Government of Canada (2021). Pg 21.
In December 2025, the Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) published a policy update asserting that B.C. has already exceeded its 30×30 target. Using its own calculations, AME asserts that conservation categories it considers eligible as OECMs protect up to 36.3% of B.C.’s land base, and that once overlap with parks and protected areas is removed, the total area protected reaches up to 46.99%. AME further argues that many of these conservation categories restrict economic activity and effectively prevent mineral exploration and mining. AME’s policy recommendation is that the Province should focus on counting existing OECMs rather than establishing new protected areas.
This report examines whether the areas AME claims are protected meet the Canadian and international criteria for OECMs, as outlined above. It presents independent mapping analysis conducted by SkeenaWild Conservation Trust, CPAWS-BC, Northern Confluence, and the BC Mining Law Reform Network. To conduct this analysis, we overlaid AME’s asserted protected areas with data on active mining tenures, exploration and regional mine permits, and exploration and mine projects.
Our analysis reveals that many areas AME counts as protected remain open to active mineral exploration, mine development, and in some cases, full-scale mining operations. Areas where incompatible activities are permitted or reasonably expected to occur without effective mechanisms to prevent or manage their impacts are unlikely to satisfy the Effective Means criterion for a protected area or OECM: “The intended effect of the criterion is that activities that are incompatible with in-situ conservation of biodiversity do not occur and compatible activities [and their effects] are effectively managed” (pg. 10).
Our findings are based on an understanding that mining poses serious, significant threats to biodiversity, and permitting mineral exploration preserves and advances a legal and practical pathway toward extraction, even though future production remains subject to additional approvals.
“A site does not meet the criteria [for a Protected Area or OECM] if an incompatible activity could be reasonably expected to occur in the future and governing authorities are not required to either prevent it or make it compatible.”
Pathway to Canada Target 1: Decision Support Tool for the identification of Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs).
Government of Canada (2021). Pg 12.
This report did not examine other industrial uses, such as forestry and road building. According to a 2022 CPAWS-BC and Ecojustice report, much of the area B.C. reported to the Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database as OECMs do not meet the criteria outlined in the Decision Support Tool. For B.C. to meet its 30×30 commitment in a way that supports biodiversity as intended, all OECMs must be transparently assessed and brought into adherence with the Canadian definition.
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27% of mining projects listed by the B.C. The Geological Survey in 2025 are located within areas AME says should count as protected.
These include:
Approximately 24% of all active mineral tenures in B.C. are located inside areas AME asserts are protected. Additionally, 18% of all active exploration and regional mine permits overlap with these asserted conservation areas. Active mineral tenures confer a legal right of entry and exploration, with the statutory ability to advance toward mineral production (e.g., through lease or production permitting), and are not merely expressions of interest.
AME’s protected area assertions rely heavily on the inclusion of Ungulate Winter Ranges. However, in 2025, Ungulate Winter Ranges in B.C. contained at least 6 operating mines, 5 proposed mines, and 61 exploration projects. These areas provide site-specific management directions for wildlife, but do not prohibit industrial activities, including mining and forestry.
The mapping analysis focused specifically on mineral exploration and mining. However, other industrial uses, including logging and road-building, are also permitted in many of AME’s mapped areas. Unless these areas are assessed on a site-by-site basis and are found to meet all criteria, they cannot be considered OECMs. These additional industrial overlaps further undermine AME’s claim that B.C.’s existing measures are sufficient as protected areas.
AME’s assertion that nearly 47% of British Columbia is already protected does not hold up to scrutiny. The independent mapping analysis presented in this report demonstrates that many areas AME counts as OECMs remain open to mining and other industrial activities. Areas that do not meet the criteria under the Decision Support Tool, including areas where incompatible activities are not effectively prevented or managed, should not be counted toward the 30×30 target. The gap between AME’s assertions and on-the-ground realities represents a fundamental mischaracterization of the province’s conservation status, and risks undermining B.C.’s ability to meet its 30×30 commitment and effectively protect wildlife, watersheds, and ecosystem health.
Evidence-based decision-making: Conservation policy must be grounded in verifiable data and on-the-ground assessment, not industry assertions. The Province should maintain transparent, publicly accessible reporting on the status of protected and conserved areas.
Clear and enforceable definitions: B.C. must apply Canadian and international standards rigorously when accounting for OECMs. Areas that do not meet the criteria under the Decision Support Tool, and are therefore incompatible with biodiversity conservation, should not be counted toward the 30×30 target.
Strong legal conservation measures: Meeting the 30×30 target will require nearly doubling the area of the province under meaningful protection. This means establishing new protected areas and strengthening existing designations through legally enforceable mechanisms.
Respect for Indigenous rights: All conservation and land use planning must uphold the duty to consult and accommodate Indigenous nations, formally recognize Indigenous-led conservation initiatives, and respect treaty and inherent rights.
Alignment between commitments and action: B.C. has made an important commitment to protect 30% of lands and waters by 2030. Achieving this goal will require political will, adequate funding, and a commitment to conservation measures that actually protect ecosystems on the ground — not just on paper.
Download PDF Version: This article is a brief overview of findings outlined in the aforementioned PDF version. The PDF version of this article includes full citations and offers a more complete picture of what is being presented here. Please visit the aforementioned link to review all information on this topic.
