Kelowna has been chosen as one of several locations as the provincial government seeks input to revitalize both the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) and the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC).
A independent committee of nine members, including one from the Okanagan, with diverse agricultural backgrounds and experiences will lead the revitalization consultation process with stakeholders.
“I am proud and grateful to have attracted British Columbians with the knowledge, expertise, passion and experience that the committee members possess for agriculture,” Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham said. “The ALR and the ALC are incredibly important to the health and economic well-being of our province’s future, and making it easier and more efficient for the commission to fulfill its mandate of protecting farmland and encouraging farming is a commitment the B.C. government is delivering on.”
The committee will provide strategic advice, policy guidance, and recommendations on how to help revitalize the ALR and ALC. It’s hoped this will help shape the provincial goals of preserving agricultural land and encouraging farming and ranching in B.C.
Among the nine committee members is Okanagan Indian Band Chief Byron Louis.
Beginning in early 2018, the committee will:
- Share a consultation paper to seek opinions and feedback on revitalizing the ALR and ALC;
- Host regional meetings to hear opinions and feedback directly from the local farming and ranching communities in Abbotsford, Cranbrook, Fort St. John, Kelowna, Kamloops, Nanaimo and Prince George; and
- Open an online consultation process to seek public opinion.
The committee will use the input it receives during the consultation process to develop recommendations for the provincial government’s consideration.
Recommendations may include changes to the current legislative, regulatory, and administrative framework to revitalize the ALR and the ALC.
Any legislative changes that support the revitalization of the commission and the reserve are targeted for late 2018 or early 2019.
Comments