BC Government - Mines Permit Fees

Last year I submitted a NOW for some handwork that I planned on doing here on the Island in the spring. I was told by MTO that I HAD to submit a NOW, even though it would be hand digging and using a water pump with a 1.5" intake, and it was 75 yds to the nearest, seasonal stream, no discharge would ever reach the stream.
I waited a few months and when the date of my proposed work came and went, I still had no reply to my NOW application.
I inquired about it and was told that it was mailed months earlier. It had been "lost" in the mail. So, by the time I received my letter stating that "no permit was needed" for my work, the seasonal stream could not support my work.

So under the new fee proposal, that would have cost me $2000.
That's just not right.
They state that they crunched the numbers for three sizes of "hardrock" mines and found a .1% cost to the fee structure over 20 yrs. This has NOTHING to do with Placer and Placer exploration. Perhaps there should be 2 fee structures, one for Placer and one for hardrock. But to start the fees at $2000 is just stifling the mining and prospecting industry. They want to increase mining but increasing fees for exploration is counterproductive.
I would also like to see mining in 2 categories like fishing is. One recreational and one commercial. 2 fee structures and regulations.


Keith