About the Mineral Resources Branch

The Minerals Resources branch regulates exploration and mining activity and encourages its development. This includes the following functions for placer, hardrock, coal and dredging operations:

• issuing mineral titles, including fee collection, rentals and royalties, approval of assessment work and providing claim maps;
• permitting/licensing of proposed exploration and mining developments;
• providing mine coordination support to facilitate development projects; and
• supporting training, education and policy/ program review and development and other initiatives.

There are Mining Recorder offices in Dawson City, Mayo, Watson Lake and Whitehorse. These offices provide information and advice on how to stake and areas open for staking. The offices process all mining land use applications, issue and maintain mineral titles, review work filed for assessment credit and sell claim maps.

Related Government Branches:

The Yukon Geological Survey provides the geoscience and technical information base required to enable stewardship and sustainable development of the territory’s energy, mineral and land resources.

This includes:

• scientific and technical information on the geology and mineral deposits of the territory;
• baseline geoscience information in support of oil and gas exploration and development.

The Assessment and Abandoned Mines Branch delivers Yukon government responsibilities with respect to Type II sites under the Devolution Transfer Agreement. Type II Mines refers to major mine sites with the potential of unfunded environmental liabilities at the time of closure. The term comes from the Devolution Transfer Agreement (DTA), which details environmental responsibilities and obligations associated with the transfer of lands from Canada to the Yukon government.

 

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