Sponsored Crown Grant and Nominal Rent Tenures

Local governments and community organizations can apply to the Province, through Front Counter BC, for access to Crown land through a Sponsored Crown Grant or a Nominal Rent Tenure.
All applications are considered using standardized selection criteria and transparent accounting processes for this category of Crown land disposition. The Province uses the fair market value of the Crown land to budget and record the grants and tenures as an expense against the Crown Land Special Account.

Each year the Ministry is provided an allocation from the Crown Land Special Account to support Sponsored Crown Grants and Nominal Rent Tenures. Eligible applicants include municipalities, regional districts, and community organizations. Generally the value of applications exceeds the allocation, so qualified applications may need to be resubmitted for consideration at a later date.

Sponsored Crown Grants

Sponsored Crown Grants are transfers of Crown land from the Province to municipalities and regional districts.

Nominal Rent Tenures

Nominal Rent Tenures are leases and licences of occupation of Crown land provided to municipalities, regional districts and community organizations for a token or nominal amount of rent.

Application Process

Applications from local governments and community organizations are received by Front Counter BC, which determines whether the Crown land is eligible for release and the current market value of the land.

Applications for Nominal Rent Tenures valued at more than $100,000 and all Crown Grants are forwarded to the appropriate ministries for sponsorship. The Ministry is responsible for reviewing, evaluating and making recommendations to the Minister on applications related to uses such as sewage treatment plants, reservoirs, water treatment facilities, local government offices, community halls, fire halls, regional parks, recreational facilities, airports, and heritage sites.

The Minister is responsible for approving applications for sponsorship and notifying the applicant of the outcome. An affirmative sponsorship decision would trigger the next part in the process, which is for the Province to consult with First Nations and other ministries and agencies to ensure there are no issues with the land being released to the applicant.

Should an applicant wish to acquire Crown land without sponsorship or if the value of a Nominal Rent Tenure is below $100,000, the Ministry is not involved.

For more information contact the Community Relations Branch.