ADAM OLSEN: My question is to the Minister of Agriculture ... “Will she consider looking at the incentive structures provided to farmers in B.C. in relation to preserving ecological values on ALR land?”
I'm a passionate advocate for protecting
agricultural land. And I'm pleased to be able to work with Minister Lana Popham
to strengthen the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) Act.
But, within the ALC Act is a critical gap with
respect to wetlands, water quality (and volume) and protecting our watersheds.
Currently the ALC Act allows for, and encourages,
draining wetlands to increase access to agricultural production. As droughts
increase in frequency and severity we are going to have to protect our
watersheds with the same level of vigour as we protect food producing land.
There is no question these conflicts test us. I had
the opportunity to ask Minster of Agriculture, Hon. Lana Popham, about these
issues.
Transcript
A. Olsen:
In
recognition of World Water Day last week, I stand to ask about an issue that
has long troubled me.
For the most
part, the (Agricultural Land Reserve) ALR protects arable land from urban sprawl. But within its laudable
and important purpose, it contains a critical environmental flaw. The ALC Act
allows and encourages the draining and filling of ALR land. While this may
provide agricultural benefit, it can also destroy wetlands that have immense
ecological value. They are critical to our ecological circulatory system,
storing and filtering water and controlling volume and quality in our
watersheds. There are no provisions within the ALC Act that allow these values
to be recognized on agricultural land.
My question
is to the Minister of Agriculture. We agree with the critical importance of
protecting and defending food-producing land, but we must ensure that
agricultural activities are not jeopardizing other important ecological
habitats. Has the minister considered implementing regulations to support the
preservation of other ecological values on ALR land?
Hon. L. Popham:
Agriculture Minister Lana Popham |
Thank you
for the very important question from the member.
Our
government knows that wetlands provide a critical habitat for fish, birds and
other wildlife and, in fact, make up about 5 percent of our land base in this
province. We know how important it is to have healthy wetlands. Often these
wetlands are in an agricultural setting.
I've been
very happy to be working with and hearing about programs where ranchers and
farmers are actually embracing the idea of having natural ecosystems working
with their farms and, in fact, making a healthier farming setting as well.
I'd be happy
to talk to the member about a specific program called Farmland Advantage that's
happening up in the Cariboo area. Basically, it took a wetland that had been
farmed for quite some time. There were not very many wild birds or animals in
this wetland area. The farmer embraced that and has now brought back those
critical birds and animals into that area. He's also an incredible rancher. And
so there are ways that we can work together with agricultural and natural
areas, and I'm really happy to have that conversation with the member.
Mr. Speaker:
Member, Saanich North and the Islands on a
supplemental.
A. Olsen:
Thank you to
the minister. The governance of the ALR needs to recognize that ecological
values are valuable to society and should also be protected. I'm happy to hear
the example of the individual that's taken this, but I think that it's
important that it's captured within the governance of the ALR.
For
thousands of years, these wetlands were an essential part of the local
landscape. It's a place where animals, birds and plants thrive, as the minister
acknowledged. It's an ancient supermarket of sorts for my WSÁNEĆ ancestors that
harvested foods and materials there that were important for their quality of
life.
But there's
a problem with the incentives. There's a constant battle with nature that could
easily be solved if the preservation of specific ecological values were given
tax credits like the production of the small amount that is currently captured
within the legislation. Maintaining wetland habitats should be recognized as an
allowed non-farm use, and draining wetlands should require explicit permission
from the ALC.
My question
is to the Minister of Agriculture. Will she consider looking at the incentive
structures provided to farmers in B.C. in relation to preserving ecological
values on ALR land?
Hon. L. Popham:
Point taken
by the member. It's an excellent point. I think there's been more and more
discussion about the value of ecological goods and services with agricultural
land in natural areas. The Agricultural Land Commission does recognize the
importance of wetlands, and that is why there are functioning wetlands that are
happening on agricultural land reserve farms right now.
We also have
an environmental farm plan program through my ministry that works with farmers
who want to work with these wetlands and natural areas.
So, let's
have a chat. Let's have coffee later, and we can discuss how we can make that
work better.
Comments
Post a Comment