Effective Date: August 27 2026; approved by the BCMT board

The BC Marine Trails Network Association (“BC Marine Trails”, “BCMT”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) provides access to the BC Marine Trails Member Map and associated information (the “Member Map”) as a service to members, volunteers, and authorized users. By accessing, viewing, uploading, posting, or otherwise using the Member Map, you agree to these Terms of Use.

1. Purpose of the Member Map

The Member Map is intended to support stewardship, recreation, reporting, planning, education, and community engagement related to marine trails and associated sites.

The Member Map is not intended to be relied upon as a sole source of navigational, safety, legal, or environmental information.

2. User Accounts

Access to certain features of the Member Map may be limited to BCMT members, volunteers, staff, or authorized partners.

Users are responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of their login credentials.
• Ensuring that information submitted through their account is accurate.
• Promptly notifying BCMT of any unauthorized use of their account.

BCMT may suspend or revoke access at its discretion where these Terms are violated.

3. User Content

Users may submit content including:

• Photographs
• Site condition reports
• Comments about sites
• Stewardship observations (e.g. marine debris)
• Geographic information
• Other related materials

You retain ownership of the content you submit.

By submitting content, you grant BCMT a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to:

• Store the content.
• Display the content within BCMT systems.
• Use the content for stewardship, education, conservation, advocacy, reporting, grant applications, publications, and program administration.
• Publish, reproduce, and distribute the content in connection with BCMT’s mission.

This licence continues unless and until the content is removed, subject to BCMT’s record-keeping and legal obligations.

4. Photographs and Media

By uploading photographs or other media, you represent that:

• You created the content or have permission to share it.
• The content does not infringe the intellectual property rights of others.
• Any identifiable individuals appearing in the content have provided any permissions required by law.
• The content does not violate privacy rights or applicable legislation.

BCMT may remove content that does not comply with these requirements.

5. Prohibited Content

Users must not upload, post, or share content that:

• Is unlawful.
• Is defamatory, abusive, threatening, discriminatory, or harassing.
• Infringes copyright, trademark, privacy, or other rights.
• Contains malicious software or harmful code.
• Includes personal or confidential information without authorization.
• Discloses sensitive cultural, archaeological, ecological, or Indigenous knowledge without authorization.
• Is false, misleading, or intentionally inaccurate.

6. Indigenous Cultural and Sensitive Information

Some locations, place names, cultural sites, ecological information, or traditional knowledge may be sensitive.

Users should not upload or disclose:

• Confidential Indigenous knowledge.
• Restricted cultural information.
• Sensitive archaeological site information.
• Information designated as confidential by a First Nation, partner organization, or government agency.

If you are unsure whether information you wish to submit should be or should not be uploaded or disclosed, please contact the BC Marine Trails at: helpdesk@bcmarinetrails.org

BCMT reserves the right to not publish content that is sensitive.

7. Accuracy of Information

Information displayed on the Member Map may be contributed by multiple users and may not always be current, complete, or accurate.

BCMT makes no guarantee regarding:

• Accuracy
• Completeness
• Availability
• Currency

Users are responsible for independently verifying information before relying upon it.

8. Navigation and Safety Disclaimer

The Member Map is not a nautical chart and is not intended for navigation.

Users must not rely solely on information displayed within the Member Map for:

• Marine navigation
• Emergency planning
• Safety decisions
• Tide, weather, or hazard assessments

Users are responsible for obtaining official charts, notices, weather forecasts, and other appropriate safety information.

9. Privacy

BCMT may collect, store, use, and publish information submitted through the Member Map in accordance with its Privacy Policy.

Users should not post personal information that is unnecessary for the intended purpose of the map.

BCMT may remove personal information where appropriate to protect privacy.

10. Intellectual Property

The Member Map, including its design, data structure, branding, and BCMT-owned content, remains the property of BC Marine Trails or its licensors.

Except where expressly permitted, users may not:

• Copy substantial portions of the map.
• Publish or redistribute any information obtained exclusively from the map.
• Create derivative commercial products.
• Remove copyright or attribution notices.

11. Monitoring and Content Removal

BCMT reserves the right to:

• Review submitted content.
• Edit content for clarity or compliance.
• Remove content at its discretion.
• Restrict or terminate access.

BCMT is not obligated to review all content before publication.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, BCMT, its directors, officers, employees, volunteers, and partners shall not be liable for any loss, damage, injury, claim, or expense arising from:

• Use of the Member Map.
• Reliance on information contained within the Member Map.
• User-submitted content.
• Service interruptions.
• Data loss.
• Unauthorized access.

Use of the Member Map is at the user’s own risk.

13. Indemnification

Users agree to indemnify and hold harmless BCMT, its directors, officers, employees, volunteers, and agents from claims, liabilities, damages, and expenses arising from content they submit or from violations of these Terms.

14. Changes to these Terms

BCMT may amend these Terms of Use at any time. Updated versions will be posted within the Member Map or on the BCMT website.

Continued use of the Member Map constitutes acceptance of revised Terms.

15. Contact Information

Questions regarding these Terms of Use may be directed to:

BC Marine Trails Network Association