Natural resource permitting plays a significant role in the government’s strategy to strengthen and diversify our economy. B.C. is working across the natural resource sector to streamline permitting, remove barriers and delays, eliminate duplication, and simplify processes while maintaining high environmental standards and our commitment under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. As part of this work, teams across the natural resource ministries were tasked with identifying areas that would increase efficiency, remove redundancy, and/or reduce administrative burden. Opportunities with the highest potential for impact and timely implementation are being considered for recommendation to Government. 

What’s the challenge?

With the importance of economic development across B.C., the Province and the BC Energy Regulator (BCER) are working together to identify opportunities to streamline permitting to expedite critical restoration activities. To continue to responsibly grow the economy through major projects and developments, a focus on restoration efforts must also be a key priority. Restoration activities aim to assist the recovery and management of ecological integrity in areas where development activities, such as oil and gas projects, have taken place and have had detrimental impacts on the environment. Other circumstances that may require restoration include sites that have been impacted by natural disasters, such as wildfire and flooding.   

The BCER is responsible for overseeing the full lifecycle of energy and oil and gas activities. This includes end of life restoration of legacy, dormant and orphan oil and gas sites. A site is considered restored when it has been returned to its natural state. This consists of the decommissioning of the asset, site assessment and remediation. The restoration of oil and gas sites is required by regulation, and subject to prescribed timelines. Restoration work is key in upholding high environmental standards and supports the management of cumulative effects within B.C.  

To accomplish these goals, the BCER and the Province permit various activities for proponents doing restoration work over the winter season. Many oil and gas sites are remotely located in Northeast B.C. and require constructed ice roads to be accessed. Ice road construction requires a short-term water use approval. Due to the short season in which ice roads may be constructed and used, application timelines for approvals can significantly delay the restoration of sites.  

While less prevalent, the Province also issues authorizations for ice road construction for other purposes, such as BC Wildfire Service access or land remediation. Extended approval timelines can pose similar challenges for these activities.  

What is being proposed? 

With the support of the Province, BCER is exploring ways to increase permitting efficiency for ice roads. BCER and the Province are reviewing feedback from proponents and water authorization specialists to determine where efficiencies could be achieved and what low-risk activities might not need a permit. Options could include exempting ice road construction for restoration purposes from requiring a short-term water use approval. Timely access to sites for the purposes of restoration is a priority for both the BCER and the Province. 

The survey closed October 17, 2025. 

Learn more about our other proposals to improve natural resource permitting on the govTogetherBC website.