theQuestion: Is it time to review and change the Agricultural Land Reserve?*
Last week, BC NDP agriculture critic Nicholas Simons lambasted the BC Liberals’ decision to include the Agricultural Land Reserve, and the commission charged with overseeing it, in the government’s cost-cutting core review of programs and services. The premier has tasked MLA Bill Bennett to lead the core review in an effort to cut $100 million from the provincial budget over the next two years. The outspoken MLA from the Kootenays parsed no words in stating he has been “very frustrated” and “flummoxed by the land commission for years.”
The ALR has been a source of controversy ever since it was first created in 1973 by the Dave Barrett-led NDP government. There are approximately 4.7 million hectares in the reserve and the lands are designated for agricultural use only. The ALR is a constant source of conflict as pressures of urban development meet the need to protect prime agricultural land for food production. Over the past 40 years, many battles have been won and lost in the effort to remove or protect lands in ALR — to the chagrin of many landowners and farming advocates. The BC Liberal government is hoping to satisfy both sides by striking a better balance between the desire to protect precious farmland and the need to foster economic development. To do this, changes to the ALR must be made.
Like Bennett, I too have long been frustrated by the ALR. I’m from the Okanagan, where the ALR is literally a backyard issue. I got my start in television news in Kelowna and interviewed countless farmers and landowners who were stymied in their desire to have some measure of control over the destiny of their lands and livelihood. Often, ALR decisions made no sense as the commission denied applications to remove land that was clearly not suitable for agriculture. It was frustrating to see residential and industrial growth stalled because of the ALR. It wasn’t until the BC Liberals came to power did the situation improve. Now more can be done.
The Agricultural Land Commission must conduct an in-depth review of ALR boundaries to ensure they are accurate and only include lands that are capable of and suitable for agricultural use. The government has restored $1.5 million in ALC funding and promised an additional $4 million more over the next three years for the effort. Lands that don’t meet these guidelines should be immediately removed from the ALR with no application needed. Let’s hope the review is timely and effective.