On Jan. 19, Imperial Metals Corporation, the Province of British Columbia and the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission reached a $24 million agreement to return all of Imperial’s Giant Copper mineral claims to the province.

Premier John Horgan said the agreement will protect the rich natural heritage of the Silverdaisy watershed and surrounding areas for generations to come. It will also preserve natural and cultural resources as well as recreational opportunities.

Imperial has held Giant Copper, located within an area of the Silverdaisy watershed known as the Skagit River Donut Hole, since April 1988. Sitting between Princeton and Hope, B.C., it is home to two mineral deposits containing copper, silver and gold.

Indigenous Peoples have depended on the Skagit River…for its ecosystem and wild salmon population. It is also a critical corridor for salmon, steelhead and bull trout. According to Thomas Curley, Canada co-chair, Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission, the agreement marks “a historic step forward in the stewardship of the Upper Skagit watershed.”

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In 1995, the province designated almost 30,000 hectares as the Skagit Valley Provincial Park, while 2,500 hectares of the claim area were allotted for mineral exploration. Imperial surrendered some of its claims along the Skagit River in return for a commitment to allow mineral exploration and possibly mining in the remaining Giant Copper claims.

Industrial activity within the region has been historically opposed by Indigenous communities and environmental groups. In 2019, the B.C. government took steps to safeguard the Silverdaisy watershed from logging by halting all timber sale licences in the same area. Imperial released the results of some preliminary exploration as recently as December 2020, at the time saying it was waiting for approval to complete follow-up drilling in 2021.

“Our objective as a mining company would have been to proceed with exploration of our claims. But as a company that is responsive to the aspirations of Indigenous communities, government, and neighbours, we support this agreement,” said Imperial president Brian Kynoch.

“This agreement recognizes the importance of the old-growth forests and diverse species in the Silverdaisy watershed and surrounding ecosystem,” George Heyman, minister of environment and climate change strategy. “Through future discussions with Indigenous Nations and others, we now have the opportunity to explore how best to manage this important area and its uniquely valuable connection to the surrounding conservation areas.”