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VANCOUVER, March 23 /CNW/ - Bear Creek Mining (TSX Venture: BCM / BVL:
BCM) ("Bear Creek" or the "Company") announces that the board of
directors has authorized the grant of 893,000 incentive stock options
under its incentive stock option plan to directors, officers and
employees of Bear Creek and a consultant performing investor relations
activities, at an exercise price of $10.77 per share. These options are
exercisable for a five-year period and the grant is subject to vesting
provisions in accordance with the Company's Stock Option Plan. This
represents the first stock option grant made by the Company since
January 2009 and is designed to compensate directors and incentivize
key employees. The grant also recognizes the Company having achieved
significant milestones in the past two years, particularly the
completion of the Santa Ana Feasibility Study leading to a financing in
2010 which fully funds the build-out of this robust silver project.


About Bear Creek:


Bear Creek is focused in Peru, a mineral-rich nation with a favorable
investment climate. The Company has recently completed a
Pre-Feasibility Study on its Corani Project and a Feasibility Study on
its Santa Ana Project, which together estimate measured and indicated
resources in excess of 500 million ounces of silver of which over 320
million ounces are in proven and probable reserves providing near-term
production potential and excellent leverage to silver prices. The
Feasibility Study for Santa Ana defines a low-cost "pure silver" mine
producing 5 million ounces annually in the first six years of an
estimated 11-year mine life. The Pre-Feasibility Study for the flagship
Corani Project estimates average annual production of 10 million ounces
for the first six years of an estimated 27-year mine life, with low
cash costs and fast payback of capital costs. Santa Ana is proceeding
towards permitting and construction while Corani is undergoing a
Feasibility Study.


The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy
or accuracy of this release.




For further information: Andrew Swarthout - CEO, or Patrick De Witt - Investor Relations Phone: 604-685-6269 Direct: 604-628-1111 E-mail: For further information, please visit the Company's website (http://www.bearcreekmining.com/">www.bearcreekmining.com)