… about change to Agriculture Land Commission

By Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett

1. The Agriculture Land Reserve & Commission were created 40 years ago to ensure good agricultural land was protected for agriculture. Changes made by my Core Review Committee maintain that protection but will now take into account the farm family and helping farmers and ranchers stay on the land.

2. The ALR will be divided into two zones. Zone 1 (Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Okanagan) will be business as usual; Zone 2 (Kootenays, Cariboo & North) ALC decisions will now consider (in addition to agriculture land protection) economic, social and local government perspectives.

3. ALC decisions will be made by people from the region. The six existing regional panels will be established in law and must have minimum of two members, maximum of three; all from that region. ALC will now have an obligation to report to Minister on service levels to the public.

– Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett is B.C.’s Minister of Energy and Mines and Minister for Core Review

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