Hundreds of letters and petitions have forced the British Columbia government to change how it will reform the Agricultural Land Reserve.
“The comments were as diverse as the province itself,” said agriculture minister Norm Letnick.
Despite the letters of protest, the province will stick with its controversial decision to divide the province into two zones.
However, it will provide more clarity about the changes that can happen to agricultural land in Zone 2, the area in the central and northern part of the province with less urban pressure.
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“Even with the changes to the legislation, the Agricultural Land Commission continues to decide how land is to be best used independently of anyone else, including me,” Letnick said during a May 6 news conference after introducing changes to the proposed bill.
He said different practices and development pressures across the province means “one size fits all” rules don’t work when governing agriculture land in the province.
“Keeping Zone 1 status quo will protect farmland facing the greatest pressure,” he said.
The primary goal in Zone 2 will be to preserve agricultural land, he added, but the land commission will also be able to consider other factors, including economic, cultural and regional.
“We’re providing them with a little flexibility, so they are required in Zone 2 to look at these lesser important but still important conditions,” he said.
“That is to make it very clear that our main goal is always to support agriculture.”
The land commission would be able to look at things that can’t be done under the current legislation, including farm-related expansion, large processing facilities, co-operatives, agriculture industry facilities and cogeneration plants.
“These are the kinds of things currently the act does not provide the ALC with that flexibility.”
Those agriculture industries would not be allowed in Zone 1 in the more populated south.
“We believe the urbanization pressures in Zone 1 are very, very strong, stronger than they are in Zone 2, therefore Zone 1 will stay as status quo and Zone 2 will provide the ALC with a little flexibility of looking at other conditions.”
Only 1.1 percent of land in the province is considered prime agricultural land. About five percent is considered suitable for agriculture.
The province introduced the ALR almost 40 years ago to protect its valuable and limited supply of farmland from development pressures.
In a news release, British Columbia Agriculture Council chair Stan Vander Waal said the government has adopted some of the organization’s suggestions but stuck with the concept of two agricultural zones, which the council opposes.
“Although government is moving forward with amendments to the proposed bill, BCAC remains firmly opposed to two zones. BCAC supports a one zone system that provides reasonable opportunities for regional representatives to consider community need.”
He said he is pleased that the council will have a chance to be part of a working group to help develop the regulations for Bill 24.
“BCAC has always been committed to preserving agriculture land, but we are also committed to preserving farmers.”
