Produce or pipelines? BC farmland is under threat
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- Published on Thursday, 22 May 2014 16:40
- Written by editor
The BC government is rushing a bill that could dismantle our Agricultural Land Reserve, and pave the way for pipelines and runaway real estate sprawl.
Once our farmland is gone, there’s no getting it back. Click here to tell your MLA to defend BC’s farmland and reject Bill 24.
In just days, the BC Liberal government could pass a bill that would make sweeping changes to BC’s Agricultural Land Reserve. Cabinet minister Bill Bennett is ramming it through the legislature with almost no public consultation.
Bill 24, the Agricultural Land Commission Amendment Act, proposes fundamental changes to the ALR that could result in the permanent loss of protected BC farmland, and pave the way for oil and gas pipelines across the province.
BC’s farmers, ranchers, and fruit growers are speaking out. Many have rejected the government’s claim that the changes will be good for farmers.[1] The opposition MLAs - BC NDP, BC Greens, and Independent Vicky Huntington - oppose Bill 24 and have said they will vote against it.
If enough of us speak out right now there’s a chance we can stop this dangerous legislation before it becomes law. But we have to act fast because a final vote on the bill is expected within a week.
Once our farmland is gone, there’s no getting it back. Click here to send an urgent message to your MLA calling on them to defend BC’s farmland, and reject Bill 24 now.
For over 40 years the ALR has protected farmland in British Columbia as a valuable, shared resource for all of us and for future generations. The ALR is a proud part of BC’s heritage, and vital to our rural economies. It reduces our dependence on external food sources while enhancing our ability to produce and market safe, local and healthy food.
Bill 24 weakens province-wide stewardship of our farmland. It will dismantle the Agricultural Land Commission in favour of 6 regional panels and cut the ALR in two - putting 90% of the ALR at increased risk from oil and gas pipelines, fracking, and runaway real estate development.[2-3]
The vote on Bill 24 could happen in just days. Send your message to Bill Bennett, Christy Clark and your MLA now, calling on them to defend BC’s farmland and reject Bill 24.
As our population grows and becomes increasingly urbanized, and as food sources around the world are threatened by climate change, protecting farmland is more important than ever. Thanks to the Agricultural Land Reserve, British Columbia has maintained a steady number of farms – bucking the trend across Canada that has seen the loss of about 1/3 of farms over recent decades.[4]
Let’s stand with the farmers, ranchers and fruit growers of BC to reject Bill 24 and defend BC farmland. Please send a message to your MLA today asking them to vote against the Agricultural Land Commission Amendment Act.
http://www.leadnow.ca/defend-bc-farmland
Thank you for all that you do,
Julia, Kelly, Matthew, Rodrigo and the whole Leadnow.ca team
Sources
[2] Metro Vancouver calls on province to delay changes to ALR (Vancouver Sun) http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Metro+Vancouver+calls+province+delay+changes/9820700/story.html
[3] Agricultural Land Reserve Changes Make Way for Pipelines: Conservationist (The Tyee) http://thetyee.ca/News/2014/05/08/Agricultural-Land-Reserve-Changes/
[4] NFU Brief to BC Premier Christy Clark Re: Bill 24 (National Farmers Union) http://www.nfu.ca/blog/Bill24/504
[5] Photo Credit: Evan Leeson
