case study of greater terrace area, british columbia (city of...

Agricultural Land Use Planning in Northern British Columbia

Case Study of Greater Terrace Area, British Columbia

(City of Terrace and Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine)

FINAL REPORT

Dr. David J. Connell Associate Professor

University of Northern British Columbia

May, 2015

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Executive Summary In this report we present the results of a case study of agricultural land use planning in the Greater Terrace Area (GTA), an area that includes the City of Terrace and surrounding areas that are part of the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine (RDKS). The study involved an assessment of the breadth and quality of five local legislative frameworks that govern agricultural land use planning, including policies, legislation, and governance. We assessed the strength of the local framework for agricultural land use planning using four principles as criteria: maximise stability, integrate public priorities across jurisdictions, minimise uncertainty, and accommodate flexibility. The study also involved an assessment of the political context within which agricultural land use planning takes place and decisions are made. This part of the assessment included documentation and analysis of three policy regimes: farmland preservation, global competitiveness, and food sovereignty. A policy regime refers to the combination of issues, ideas, interests, actors, and institutions that are involved in formulating policy and for governing once policies are devised.

The aim of the case study is to contribute to three areas of knowledge. The case study lends insight to the state of agricultural land use planning in the RDKS. It contributes to an understanding of the state of agricultural land use planning in northern BC. Finally, the case study is part of a broader national project to identify principles and beneficial practices that represent land use planning solutions that protect farmland.

We found that the local legislative framework for the GTA has a strong focus on food and agriculture with a stated interest in protecting farmland, but is somewhat weak overall. With regard for maximising stability for protecting farmland, the City of Terrace Official Community Plan (OCP), as an enforceable piece of legislation, contributes the most. However, other than including statements reflecting the basic requirements mandated under the Local Government Act, the OCP does not have a well-developed framework of policies and regulations to support agricultural land use planning or farmland protection.

Principles of Land Use Planning, Greater Terrace Area

Regional District Maximise stability

Integrate across

jurisdictions Minimise

uncertainty Accommodate

flexibility RDKS: Greater Terrace Area *** * ** ** * = Very weak; ***** = Very strong

Looking ahead, the on-going effort to develop and adopt an agricultural area plan (AAP) is

a significant step forward that will help to strengthen the local legislative framework for agricultural land use planning. The recently completed reports (Gagné and Kerby, 2013; Kerby, 2013a; Ministry of Agriculture, 2013) represent a comprehensive effort to document and assess the state of agriculture and the land base in the GTA. The agricultural plan completed by Gagné and Kerby (2013) includes a detailed set of 90 recommendations for strengthening agriculture in the GTA. Specific opportunities to strengthen policies and regulations for agricultural land use planning are detailed by Kerby (2013b). Presently, however, the agricultural plan is aspirational (non-enforceable); it has been accepted but not adopted by the local governments.

The integration of legislation for the GTA with provincial agricultural land use planning legislation is moderately weak. The Agricultural Land Commission Act is cited most often and

Agricultural Land Use Planning in Northern British Columbia FINAL REPORT: GREATER TERRACE AREA CASE STUDY

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almost all of the documents cited the Local Government Act. None of the legislative documents cited the Farm Practices Protection (Right to Farm) Act or other policies relevant to agricultural land use planning.

With regard for accommodating flexibility, there is no governance structure in the GTA specifically for agricultural planning. The RDKS has two Advisory Planning Commissions that cover parts of the agricultural land base. The GTA agricultural plan recommended that an Agricultural Advisory Committee be established. Presently, the primary governance structure for accommodating flexibility is the North Regional Panel of the Agricultural Land Commission.

With regard for the three policy regimes, it appears that food sovereignty is the most influential, as it is most frequently mentioned in the recent reports. Farmland preservation is also an important influence in the GTA; however, the rationale for protecting farmland is to improve food self-sufficiency and food security. Thereby, in a strict interpretation of the statements, food sovereignty is presented as a greater priority relative to farmland preservation. Global competitiveness also influences policy development; it is recognized as a driving force that creates a need for greater food self-sufficiency and to build local capacity for food production.

Overall Influence of Policy Regimes, Greater Terrace Area

Policy Regime

Vision, Goals, Objectives,

Recommendations Driving Issues,

Concerns Regulations Action Items Global Competitiveness Farmland Preservation Food Sovereignty Low Medium High

As the project unfolded, several issues emerged as common concerns across the study area. These were small-lot agriculture/fragmentation of farmland, alienation of farmland/foreign ownership, and pressure from natural resource developments. A tension between large minimum lot sizes and a desire for small lots exists in the GTA. This issue is mentioned in the City of Terrace OCP and sustainability strategy, and is a centerpiece of the GTA agricultural plan. Appropriately, the agricultural plan notes that small-scale farms might have issues with the current land use regulations within the GTA. Specific recommendations are to have sub-areas within the GTA identified for special agricultural zones and to examine which types and densities of farming should be permitted within non-agricultural and non-rural use designations. These recommendations are aimed at ensuring stronger food production in the area. Ownership of land is not mentioned as an agricultural land use planning issue.

In conclusion, the absence of well-developed local policies within the current legislative framework means that local priorities for farmland protection are not well integrated with provincial policies. Consequently, the local governments must rely on, and to some extent, defer to, the provincial legislation and regulations, thereby putting local agricultural land use decisions in the hands of the provincial Agricultural Land Commission. Looking ahead, by adopting the recommendations of the agricultural planning reports, the GTA can strengthen its policies to increase protection for the area’s farmland and to integrate the local emerging interests in food sovereignty with the provincial legislative framework for agricultural land use planning.


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Table of contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. i Table of contents .................................................................................................................................... iii Abbreviations ......................................................................................................................................... iv Preface: About the national project ......................................................................................................... v

Principles for guiding agricultural land use planning ........................................................................... vi Maximise stability ......................................................................................................................... vii Minimise uncertainty .................................................................................................................... vii Integrate across jurisdictions ......................................................................................................... vii Accommodate flexibility ............................................................................................................... vii

Strength of BC’s provincial legislative framework ............................................................................ viii Political context and policy regimes ................................................................................................... ix

Global competitiveness ................................................................................................................... x Food sovereignty ............................................................................................................................ xi Farmland preservation .................................................................................................................... xi

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Purpose and scope of case study .......................................................................................................... 1

Methods .......................................................................................................................................... 1 Overview of site .................................................................................................................................. 2 Agricultural profile.............................................................................................................................. 5

Results .................................................................................................................................................... 6 State of agricultural land use planning ................................................................................................. 6 Legislative framework ......................................................................................................................... 9 Content analysis of documents .......................................................................................................... 13 Current Issues ................................................................................................................................... 14

Small-lot agriculture/farmland fragmentation ................................................................................ 14 Alienation of farmland/foreign (out-of-province) ownership .......................................................... 14

Policy regimes................................................................................................................................... 17 Stakeholder analysis .......................................................................................................................... 23

Discussion ............................................................................................................................................. 25 Assessment of Principles ................................................................................................................... 25

Maximise stability ......................................................................................................................... 25 Minimise uncertainty .................................................................................................................... 26 Integrate across jurisdictions ......................................................................................................... 26 Accommodate flexibility ............................................................................................................... 26

Comprehensive ................................................................................................................................. 27 Influence of policy regimes ............................................................................................................... 27 Stakeholder analysis .......................................................................................................................... 28

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 29 References............................................................................................................................................. 30 Glossary ................................................................................................................................................ 31 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... 32 Appendix: Criteria for Evaluating Content of Legislative Framework ................................................... 33 Appendix: Criteria for determining level of influence of policy regimes ................................................ 35


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Abbreviations AAC Agricultural Advisory Committee AIA Agricultural Impact Assessment ALC Agricultural Land Commission ALCA Agricultural Land Commission Act ALR Agricultural Land Reserve APC Advisory Planning Commission BCFGA BC Fruit Growers Association DPA Development Permit Area GTA Greater Terrace Area LGA Local Government Act OCP Official Community Plan RDKS Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine


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Preface: About the national project The provincial project is a one-year study to identify principles and beneficial practices that represent land use planning solutions that protect farmland in northern British Columbia. We have three objectives related to this purpose:

1. To undertake case studies to fill strategic gaps in our understanding of how agricultural land use planning policies and processes at a local level protect farmland while also integrating public priorities across jurisdictions.

2. To analyse three inter-related policy regimes within Canada’s agri-food system: the long-standing policy regimes of global competitiveness and farmland preservation; and the nascent regime of food sovereignty. The aim is to understand how these three policy regimes influence agricultural land use planning at local, provincial, and national levels of policy. A policy regime and its changes refer to the combination of issues, ideas, interests, actors and institutions that are involved.

3. To mobilise knowledge gained from the research by hosting workshops across northern British Columbia.

This project represents an extension of a national project to identify principles and beneficial practices that promote integrated land use planning solutions that protect farmland across Canada. The relation between agriculture, food, and social priorities is connected to the society we want and the place of food and farmers within it. Historically, the decline in the economic and social role of agriculture has accompanied a significant loss and degradation of the agricultural land base. This trend appears to be reversing. The growth of the local food movement, as evident by the increasing number of farmers markets and citizen-based initiatives like community gardens and local food councils, has been the forerunner of recent calls at the national level for a Canada-wide food policy. Although drastic policy changes are not likely to happen immediately at the national level, changes are already occurring at local and regional levels, with all of Canada’s major metropolitan regions having launched food plans and policy councils (Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal). These changes suggest that the place of agriculture and food within Canadian society has shifted to be much more aligned with public priorities.

Sorting out relations between agriculture, food, and society falls, in part, within the domain of land use planning because every act of producing and consuming food has impacts on the land base. Yet, in spite of forty years of farmland protection policies, the agricultural land base still faces growing pressures from urban development and the pursuit of other economic priorities, with few indications that this trend will be significantly curtailed. Will this trend be halted if Canada adopts a national food policy that gave citizens more influence over domestic food supplies? If Canada adopted such a policy, do governments have the ability to protect the agricultural land base in order to support these new public priorities?

Unlike the urban centres of BC where the greatest pressures on farmland are from urban development, some level of pressure on agricultural lands in northern BC comes from the development of natural resources, such as oil and gas. The Site C dam is another source of pressure. Likewise, most of the studies to examine the effectiveness of farmland protection policies have focussed on the pressures from urban development. Recognising that the results of these studies are not fully transferable to northern BC, this project aims to assess the state of


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agricultural land use planning in the face of pressures from natural resource and urban development pressures. We anticipate that the greatest potential benefit of the research is to make a positive contribution to the development of agricultural land use plans, planning processes and policies in northern BC to protect farmland and promote farming as the highest and best use of these lands. Our assessment will be of benefit to land use decision makers, planning practitioners, to non-government organisations, industry groups, farmer organisations, farmers, and the general public.

For more information about the project, please visit the project website or contact Dr. David J. Connell, University of Northern British Columbia. Phone: (250) 960 5835 Email: [email protected] Website: http://blogs.unbc.ca/agplanning/

Principles for guiding agricultural land use planning An agricultural land use planning legislative framework provides the context and constraints for what local governments must and can do to protect its agricultural lands. An effective framework of policies, legislation, and governance structures presents an opportunity for local governments, which can then choose how much it wants to take advantage of this opportunity. Within this context it is helpful to be able to assess the quality of an agricultural land use planning framework and understand how well it works and why. For this purpose we have identified the following four principles, which are described below:

- Maximise stability - Minimise uncertainty - Integrate across jurisdictions - Accommodate flexibility The concepts of stability and uncertainty must be understood with a view of the world as

unpredictable and essentially unknowable. This contrasts with a rationale view of the world as something that we can understand fully – if only we had all of the right data and the ability to process the information. This worldview of an open future presents challenges because planning, by its very function, is focussed on making a desirable future a visible part of today’s land use decision-making processes (Connell, 2009). The aim of planning is not to predict the future or claim to be all-knowing but to envision a desirable future with the information available. The functions of planning are to maximise what we can know about the future and to minimise what we do not know, thereby establishing a domain of understanding within which to make the best possible land use decisions in the present. This leads to the first two principles of agricultural land use planning.


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Maximise stability Something that is stable is difficult to topple; it stands strong and cannot be easily moved. Likewise, a stable legislative framework for protecting farmland is one that is not easily changed at the whim of shifting political interests; it is well-entrenched in acts of legislation, policy, and governance structures that are based on clear, concise language, and can hold up to court challenge. It is something that people can count on to secure the land base for agriculture and to know what the rules are. In this sense, a measure of stability is a measure of the thing itself – the legislative framework – as it is written in its present form. Thus, stability is a critical measure of the strength of an agricultural land use planning framework. Minimise uncertainty In addition to maximising the stability of a legislative framework through clear rules and regulations we must also consider how the framework will be implemented and applied to land use decisions. People want to know they can rely on these rules and regulations to be applied consistently and to know how it will be applied under different circumstances. In this sense, people want not only a stable land base for agriculture but also a legislative framework that provides some certainty about how it will be used to make agricultural land use decisions. However, what we do not know is boundless so we must accept that we cannot eliminate uncertainty. What governments can do is to minimise uncertainty by eliminating loop-holes, ambiguous language, and open-ended conditions. Perhaps more importantly, uncertainty can be minimised through consistent interpretations and applications of the legislative framework. In this sense, a measure of uncertainty is a future-oriented measure of expectations about how the legislative framework will be applied to land use decisions. Thus, the presence of uncertainty is a critical measure of the weakness of an agricultural land use planning framework. Integrate across jurisdictions Integrating policies and priorities across jurisdictions is a foundation for building cohesion across provincial, regional, and local governments. This principle of integration can be viewed as a “policy thread” that weaves together traditional areas of responsibility (Smith, 1998). One can also think of integration as a formal “linkage” between policies that provides consistency among them. Such formal linkages can come in the form of a provincial policy that requires a lower-level policy “to be consistent with” provincial statements. The aim of such vertical mechanisms is to ensure that lower-level policies are set within the context of broader public priorities. The same principle of integration applies horizontally, too, so that plans and strategies are co-ordinated and consistent across local governments. In order to successfully integrate policies across jurisdictions there must be sufficient details about the legislative context that guides and constrains local government plans and strategies. Accommodate flexibility Creating an effective legislative framework is an act of balance without being too stable so that it cannot be changed when needed or too strict so that it cannot be applied in a range of


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circumstances. Thus, flexibility is necessary in order to moderate the restrictive effects of maximising stability and minimising uncertainty. The principle is to enable decision-makers to accommodate a controlled level of flexibility without compromising the primary functions of the legislative framework to provide stability and reduce uncertainty. The means to accommodate flexibility is typically done through governance mechanisms, such as quasi-judicial provincial commissions, advisory committees, and application processes.

Strength of BC’s provincial legislative framework British Columbia’s legislative framework is very strong. The act of legislation to establish a land reserve of all farmland and a quasi-judicial tribunal provides the highest level of stability. As Barry Smith (1998) stated, "A stable ALR is the cornerstone of planning for agriculture; heightening certainty for persons engaged in farm businesses and support industries." Important elements within the legislation include a clear mandate for the ALC that is focussed specifically on protecting farmland. This primary focus has withstood the test of time over forty years in spite of changing governments. The additional legislation to protect farm practices extends this stability to areas of land use conflict. The strong language in the legislation that local government plans must be consistent with the ALC Act provides a necessary link in order to extend the provincial legislation into the domain of local land use planning and decisions. There are, however, several factors that undermine stability and contribute to uncertainty within the farmland protection framework. The most influential tool that has been used by provincial governments to introduce new elements to the legislative framework has been the Ministry of Agriculture’s annual service plan for the Agricultural Land Commission. Annual Service Plans have been used to introduce new factors (e.g., community need and regional responsiveness) that effectively compromised the ALC mandate. As Gary Runka stated, “Somehow, during the mid-1990s, uncertainty of purpose and direction crept in to both the administration and the perception of BC’s agricultural land preservation program” (Runka 2006:5). At other times the service plans have also been used to re-inforce the legislated mandate.

The use of regional panels within the ALC has been a source of uncertainty within the legislative framework. Until 2014 the use of the ALC panels, as per the ALC Act, was at the discretion of the ALC Chair. Over the years the level of influence of regional panels in ALC decisions has shifted. In the 2002 annual service plan, the concepts of “regional representation” and “community need” were formally inserted into the ALC practices. In the following years the influence of the regional panels was strengthened. And, as noted in the 2007 service plan, the number of applications to the ALC for land use changes “increased significantly.” Effectively, the greater level of influence of regional and local interests compromised the mandate of the ALC to protect the provincial interest in protecting agricultural lands, thereby changing expectations and introducing a greater level of uncertainty about how the ALC Act would be applied. As of 2010 the ALC Chair has made changes to return to a more centralised decision-making process that re-focusses on protecting the agricultural land base as a mandate of provincial interest.

In May, 2014, the ALC Act was amended through Bill 24. These changes were preceded by statements by BC’s Premier in the summer of 2013 that the ALC Act would be reviewed and is subject to change. Soon thereafter a “core review” process was started (that included a range


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of government services, not just the ALC) that, in relation to protecting farmland, involved very limited public input and no consultation with stakeholders. Bill 24 was introduced to the legislature in March, 2014, and passed on May 29, 2014. Aside from the impacts of the actual changes, the statements about pending changes to the ALC Act altered people’s expectations and introduced uncertainty. There were three main changes to the ALC Act:

- The ALR was divided into two zones - The criteria for agricultural land use decisions in Zone 1 were not changed - The criteria for agricultural land use decisions in Zone 2 were changed and

introduced additional factors that the ALC must consider when making decisions (e.g., social, economic, cultural, and heritage values)

- The regional panels were now required, as opposed to being at the discretion of the ALC Chair

- The level of direct political involvement was increased through the power to appoint members to the ALC (in some cases without consultation with the ALC)

The most significant changes affect Zone 2 for which the mandate of the ALC to protect farmland has been changed. This change has undermined the stability of the ALC mandate. Uncertainty about how the new criteria will be applied has also increased. Overall, though, the weakest link in the provincial legislative framework in BC is that the decision-making process has been driven by applications to change land uses. The ALC Act provides a mechanism for land owners, including governments, to apply to the ALC to exclude or include land in the ALR, to approve subdivisions, and to permit non-farm uses. As recognised in a review of the ALC in 2010, these applications have dominated the activities of the ALC with the direct consequence that the ALC had limited time and resources to dedicate to working with local governments to strengthen land use policies in order to protect farmland. Another important weakness of BC’s agricultural land use planning concerns foreign or out-of-province ownership of land. Presently, BC has no restrictions on foreign ownership of agricultural land, regardless of whether it is in the ALR or not. Foreign ownership of agricultural land increases the possibility that farmland will be alienated. Finally, the ALC recently expressed a strong interest to dedicate more resources to encourage farming and its viability. These complementary activities to protecting the land base were present when the land reserve was first established in 1973. However, the programs were eliminated soon thereafter. Such programs serve indirectly to protect the agricultural land base by increasing the demand for the land itself as productive farmland. Political context and policy regimes To understand how political contexts and multiple public priorities influence agricultural land use planning in Canada, and to what extent it has already had an impact, we will examine the interaction of three current policy regimes: global competitiveness, farmland preservation, and food sovereignty. A policy regime and its changes refer to the combination of issues, ideas, interests, actors and institutions that are involved. Actors of agricultural policy regimes include a wide range of interests represented by citizens, all levels of government, local organisations, professional organisations representing producers, farmers and ranchers themselves, unions, industry trade associations and environmental groups, among others. In Canada, the two policy


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regimes of global competitiveness and farmland preservation have influenced policies for several decades. The recent emergence of food sovereignty as a policy regime reflects growing public concerns about the security and safety of Canada’s domestic food supply, and may have significant implications for Canada’s global competitiveness and the conservation and use of agricultural land. In this section we described each of these three policy regimes. A description of the criteria we used to determine the level of influence of each policy regime is provided in the appendix. Global competitiveness A policy regime of global competitiveness has strengthened over the past forty years at both the national and provincial levels, usually in the context of pressures on industry viability in the face of freer trade. An interest in global competitiveness often requires policies and strategies to successfully integrate into the global economy. A recent report on competitiveness by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food focussed on access to new markets, barriers to trade, food safety and product labelling, and market concentration within sectors. Input to this report was provided by national and regional commodity trade associations, meat and other food processors, transportation associations, and policy institutes, among others. Scholars in this field, such as Grace Skogstad, have noted that, although the membership of the agri-food policy community in Canada is strong individually, the community is nationally fragmented and organisationally divided, as national policies do not always serve all members or geographic regions equally. For example, export-oriented policies may promote the export of raw food products at the risk of higher prices for domestic food processors. Such policies also have regional differences, where policies may benefit one region (food processing in central Canada) to the disadvantage of food producers in another region (food producers in the prairies). Notwithstanding these internal challenges, the competitiveness policy regime continues to strengthen, as evident in the Growing Forward 2 (GF2) policy framework announced on September 14, 2012.

Key ideas from GF2: - Competitiveness and Market Growth: The sector needs to continually increase

productivity, to reduce costs and to respond to consumer demands, such as for high-value products with specific attributes. Competitiveness also means increasing our share of domestic and international markets.

- The key drivers are: o Innovation: The sector adopts and implements new technologies and innovations,

creating and using knowledge to develop new products, technologies and business management practices that drive down costs, increase productivity and respond to consumer demands.

o Institutional and Physical Infrastructure: Effective rules, regulations, standards, organizations, and physical infrastructure allow firms to operate and markets to function efficiently for a profitable sector and the well-being of Canadians.

- Competing on cost: One factor in assessing the competitiveness of Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector is how cost-efficient Canadian agricultural producers, manufacturers and exporters are in relation to competitor suppliers. This is influenced


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by a number of factors, including natural resource availability and use, input prices, labour availability and cost, and scale of operation.

- Innovation is critical for improved cost competitiveness. Innovation can lead to improved productivity and reduced costs. However, despite significant agricultural research, the sector could be more effective in applying knowledge and innovating along the supply chain.

- Focus on the role of innovation for productivity growth and the ongoing efforts to access emerging growth markets.

- Continual innovation and adaptation has contributed to increased yields and the creation of new products and production methods

- Increased trade, globalization of supply chains, and more exacting consumer demands have increased the importance of rules, regulations, and other market infrastructure

- Additional industry capacity and infrastructure investments, such as information and communication technologies, will be required to enable producers, processors, buyers, and government agencies to adjust effectively to new food safety regulations and buyer assurance standards.

- Bilateral and multilateral trade agreements and trade promotion efforts are essential. Food sovereignty For our purposes, food sovereignty is a broad term that focusses on the right of citizens to have greater control over its food supply. The term encompasses food security and food safety. Food security is concerned about the availability, accessibility, and affordability of food. While the control of food supplies were among the earliest drivers of nation-building and human settlements, food sovereignty, as defined by the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty, is about the right of peoples to define, protect and regulate domestic agricultural production and land policies that promote safe, healthy and ecologically sustainable food production that is culturally appropriate. Within Canada, the growth of the local food movement, as evident by the increasing number of farmers markets and citizen-based initiatives like community gardens and local food councils, has been the forerunner of recent calls for citizens having greater control over national agri-food policies. The National Farmers Union, Canadian Federation of Agriculture, and Food Secure Canada are some of the national actors calling for changes. Adopting agri-food policies that promote greater food sovereignty could easily reach into people’s daily lives, with economic, social and environmental implications, both positive and negative. Such policy will be regarded quite differently depending on a person’s values and priorities, and where agriculture fits among them. Farmland preservation Different terms are used in this policy regime including farmland conservation, farmland preservation, and farmland protection. For our project we will use farmland protection and farmland preservation in two specific ways:


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Farmland protection: a narrower term that we will use to refer specifically to land use planning policies that aim to protect farmland so that it is available for farm uses; we will use farmland protection in relation to the contents of a legislative framework.

Farmland preservation: is a broader term that concerns all aspects of policies related to farmland including policies that not only protect farmland but are also concerned with soil and landscape conservation, etc.; can be synonymously with farmland conservation; we will refer to all that is related to farmland preservation as a policy regime.

As a policy regime, preserving farmland first garnered serious public attention in Canada in the early 1970s with most provincial and local jurisdictions having some form of legislation or guidelines in place by the end of the 1970s. The historical development of farmland policies in Canada were accompanied by a wide range of economic, environmental, and social issues that were associated with and re-inforced tensions among different land uses, such as residential, commercial, industrial, and natural resource development.

Correspondingly, motivations for preserving farmland are influenced by factors such as food production, market value for land, environmental issues, amenity of rural landscapes, agrarian ideals and land use conflicts on the urban fringe. In spite of efforts over the past forty years, Canada has experienced a continual loss of prime farmland across the country. The issue is especially acute in Ontario, which contains the country’s largest supply of prime agricultural lands, but concerns for the preservation of farmland exist across the country, albeit to varying degrees. But is also acute in other jurisdictions due to a much more limited and declining agricultural land base, such as in British Columbia and Quebec.

Concern about the loss and fragmentation (parcelisation) of farmland continues to be an issue in the face of continued urban sprawl and alienation of farmland (i.e., farmland that is not being farmed or no longer suitable for farming). These issues often lead to further problems, such as conflicts or tension with residential, recreational, infrastructure, and industrial land uses. Loss of farmland is often associated with concerns about the supply of local food and, increasingly, it is concerned with “land grabbing” through foreign or out-of-province ownership of land.

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Introduction Purpose and scope of case study In this report we present the results of a case study of agricultural land use planning in the Greater Terrace Area (GTA), an area in and surrounding the City of Terrace. This case study contributes to three areas of knowledge. The case study is part of a national project to identify principles and beneficial practices that represent land use planning solutions that protect farmland. For our purposes, the case study contributes to an understanding of the state of agricultural land use planning in northern British Columbia (BC). Finally, the case study lends insight to the state of agricultural land use planning in the RDKS.

The case study involved an assessment of the breadth and quality of the legislative framework that governs agricultural land use planning, including the documentation of policies, legislation, and governance structures and a detailed analysis of the contents of these documents. The case study also involved an assessment of the political context within which agricultural land use planning processes are completed and decisions are made. Our assessment of the political context included documentation and analysis of three policy regimes: farmland preservation, global competitiveness, and food. Methods Legislative framework: The methods used to complete the preliminary assessment involved several activities: Document agricultural land use planning legislative framework:

The legislative framework consists of policies, legislation (and by-laws), and governance structures related to agricultural land use planning at local, regional (or upper-tier), and provincial levels of government. The policies and legislation were identified as enforceable, aspirational, or enabling. Refer to the appended glossary for definitions of these and other terms.

Content analysis of legislative framework documents: After identifying the relevant documents the next step was to analyse the level of detail of each document’s contents. The aim of the content analysis is to assess the breadth and quality of the legislative framework.

Political context: Policy regimes

We analysed the contents of documents with regard for the presence and importance of policy regimes. The documents included those identified in the legislative framework. The aim is to assess the extent to which agricultural land use planning accommodates the three


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policy regimes, influences land use decisions, and encompasses a comprehensive view of food systems planning, activities, and issues.

Stakeholder analysis We identified relevant stakeholders and then completed a profile for each one, including documentation of their interests, issues, and ideas. We then assessed their level of influence within agricultural land use planning.

Overview of site The Greater Terrace Area (GTA), located on the central-west coast of BC, includes parts of the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine (RDKS) and all of the City of Terrace. The RDKS (Figure 1) is BC’s second largest regional district covers an area of 91,900 km2. The RDKS is comprised of five member municipalities, including the City of Terrace, and six electoral areas. The other member municipalities area Kitimat, Stewart, Hazelton, and New Hazelton; with the City of Terrace being the largest municipality followed by the District of Kitimat.

The Regional District has a population of 37,361 residents (StatsCan, 2011b). The main economic activities within the Regional District include mining, forestry, energy, fishing, and transportation. The area hosts a number of mills and has recently commenced construction of several hydro projects.

The City of Terrace (pop. 15,569, Canada Census, 2011) is a service centre and home for many of the region’s business, retail, medical, and government services. According to the City’s OCP, the population is expected to grow by 0.8% over the next 10-20 years. The City’s long-term vision to 2050 includes the aim to prosper from the “full use of its agricultural potential” (City of Terrace OCP, p. 7). The boundaries of the City are indicated in Figure 2.

As a service centre it acts as a hub for highway, rail, and air transportation routes. The combination of Terrace’s geographical features creates a natural “greenhouse.” These features include proximity to the ocean, which is about 60 kilometres away, low altitude, low elevation (60 metres above sea level), and location within the Coast Mountains. The City itself is located on a series of terraces within the Skeena River Valley.

The GTA, as our case study site, is the same area used by Gagné and Kerby (2013) for the agricultural plan. As shown in Figure 2, the GTA includes the area extending from Terrace to Rosswood to the North, to Old Remo to the South-West, to New Remo to the North-West, to Lakelse Lake to the South, to Chimdemash to the North East, and includes Thornhill and Jackpine Flats. The GTA includes all of the City of Terrace as well as parts of Electoral Area C and Electoral Area E (Thornhill).


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Figure 1. Map of Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine.

Source: RDKS (2014)


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Figure 2. Study Area for Greater Terrace Area Agricultural Plan

Source: Gagné and Kerby (2013)


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Agricultural profile The recently completed agricultural plan by Gagné and Kerby (2013) provides an excellent overview of the area’s farmland and farming activities. The following are some highlights from their report.

Farming activities include: fruit trees, large gardens, greenhouses (most commonly used for tomatoes, cucumbers, and grapes), large fields suitable for grazing, and livestock, such as cattle, pigs, and horses (p. 39);

There are 14,933 hectares of designated Agricultural land Reserve (ALR) land in the GTA:

o Only 761 hectares, or 5% of the agricultural lands, is used for farming o 64% are found in Crown lands (7,934 ha), foreshores (339 ha), tree farm licenses

(446 ha), and right-of-ways (773 ha). o The remaining 4,680 ha or 31% are used for other types of privately owned land

use activities than farming, e.g., 13% (1,869 ha) are occupied by residential land use, with no associated farming activities (pp. 31-2)

The highest capability soils (Class 2 and 3 soils) are found in the alluvial floodplains of the Skeena River (p. 31);

A substantial amount of the fertile land base is not in production while the region is experiencing a relatively high unemployment rate and current agricultural production does not meet local demand for fresh food (p. 13);

Access to sufficient volumes of water for agriculture varies within the GTA (p. 28); A milder climate is one of the most important assets for the future of agriculture in the

GTA (p. 26); Increasing food and fuel prices in the global marketplace favour the expansion of small-

scale agricultural production destined to local markets, a type of agriculture in which Greater Terrace has a relative advantage (p. 16);

Between 2006 and 2011, the number of farms and area of farmland both declined: o Number of farms: 42% decline from 184 to 106 o Area of farmland: 38% decline from 12,763 ha to 7,918 ha;

The GTA has many non-commercial small farms and properties that are often located on lower quality soils and outside of the ALR

Flooding, erosion, and drainage problems are significant barriers to agriculture in the area due, in part, from the higher levels of precipitation.


6

Results In this section we present the results for the case study of the GTA. We begin with our assessment of the legislative framework within the context of regional and provincial policies and legislation. We then present the results of the content analyses of local government policies and legislation followed by the results of the political context, which includes our assessment of the influence of the three policy regimes (farmland preservation, food sovereignty, and global competitiveness). The section ends with results of the stakeholder analysis. State of agricultural land use planning According to Gagné and Kerby (2013), no comprehensive agricultural planning process had been undertaken for the region prior to the recent effort to create an agricultural area plan (AAP). The state of current agricultural land use planning in the GTA is reflected in the OCP for the City of Terrace, which has a strong focus on agriculture and food. The stated goal to “re-localize” the area’s food system includes several objectives and policies that support and encourage the agricultural sector. This goal also includes several statements about agricultural land use planning, which will be discussed in more detail below. The OCP includes a land designation for Agricultural, but lacks a well-developed framework for agricultural land use planning. For the City of Terrace, the lack of a well-developed framework for farmland protection may reflect a perceived lack of pressure on the agricultural land base. As stated in the City’s OCP (p. 4), “Current lands designated for all types of residential housing can provide in excess of 2000 dwelling units ensuring adequate growth capacity beyond 20 years within the current urban containment boundary.”

The aim of the agricultural plan is to “make policy recommendations regarding amendments to sections of the Official Community Plan and zoning bylaws that impact agriculture” (Gagné and Kerby, 2013, p. 3). Thus, the on-going development of the agricultural plan represents a new and very positive step toward greater political and legislative support for agriculture and farmland protection in the GTA. The work completed to date is documented in the following four reports.

Greater Terrace Agricultural Area Plan Report (Gagné and Kerby, 2013) [hereafter referred to as the agricultural plan]

This report represents a synthesis of the agricultural planning process completed, including the agricultural land use inventory, the land use and land base report, and information from public meetings and surveys. The report also includes information about national and provincial trends in farming, associated barriers, and statistical analysis of agricultural data. Most importantly, this agricultural plan provides 92 recommendations to support agriculture and food growing activities in the Greater Terrace area. This set of recommendations cover five areas of concern:

1. Access to information regarding sustainable and viable farming 2. Floodplain protection and management and protection


7

3. Farming and food growing activities are dispersed, which may lead to land use conflicts

4. Greater support for small-scale and urban farming 5. Greater legislative support for larger-scale farming

Greater Terrace Agricultural Area Plan: Recommendations regarding the City of Terrace's Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw #1431 (Kerby, 2013b)

This report provides a detailed explanation of how the recommendations presented in the agricultural plan (Gagne and Kerby, 2013) relate to the existing legislative framework, including the City of Terrace Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw #1431. The aim of this report is to provide general guidance for future agricultural land use planning decisions in the City of Terrace.

Greater Terrace Agricultural Area Plan: Land Use and the Agricultural Land Base (Kerby, 2013a) [hereafter referred to as the agricultural land base report]

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the area’s agricultural land use, climate, soils, landforms, agricultural capability, agricultural land reserves, water supplies, floodplains, and erosion. Barriers to agriculture arising from the characteristics of the landscape are also identified in the report. The report includes results of a visual survey of the GTA, which revealed food growing activities, including fruit trees, large gardens, and greenhouses

Greater Terrace Agricultural Land Use Inventory Report (Ministry of Agriculture, 2013) [hereafter referred to as the agricultural land use inventory report]

The agricultural land use inventory by the Ministry of Agriculture for the GTA identified private parcels of land used for farming or with evidence of agricultural activities and were greater than 4,000 m2 or 1 acre in size. The report identified 78 parcels of land used for farming plus 69 parcels with evidence of agricultural activity. These parcels were scattered throughout the GTA on all types of soil capabilities. The parcels included both ALR and non-ALR lands.

The reports present a set of recommendations “to assist the City of Terrace and Regional

District of Kitimat-Stikine in setting priorities and a clear direction in their support of both a strong and profitable local agricultural sector and a network of healthy food growing activities that increase community food security and the local economy” (Gagné and Kerby, 2013, p. 5). The report stated that protection of the floodplains is necessary to preserve the best soils, the area of greatest agricultural acreages, and larger-scale agriculture. A greater level of protection is necessary to mitigate erosion and removal of agricultural lands.

The reports also stress the need for strengthening the agricultural sector by supporting farmers so they can continue farming in the area and presented many recommendations including establishing an Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC) for the area and “reviewing and modifying bylaws and regulations in order to promote agriculture as an important land use and life-style activity within the Greater Terrace area” (p. 71).


8

Importantly, the support of the City of Terrace and the Regional District to undertake this agricultural planning process demonstrates an increased level of commitment to increasing the agricultural sector and its contributions to local self‐sufficiency and food security. Applications to the ALC To lend insight to the stated of agricultural land use planning in the GTA we collected and analysed applications submitted to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) between 2006 and 2014. The applications are for all of the Regional District and the City of Terrace, which includes the GTA and also other areas. In total, 37 applications were made, with the largest number of applications submitted in 2010 and 2011 (Chart 1). As shown in Table 1, most of the applications were for land within the GTA (68%), with 24% from the Kispiox/Hazelton area. The higher number of applications in the GTA is expected given that this area has the greatest demand for non-agricultural uses due to its proximity to the urban centre.

We analysed the applications according to the type of application (Table 2). The largest number of applications was for subdivision requests. The types of applications specifically for the GTA are shown in Table 3, where the largest number of application requests was for subdivision requests, followed by non-farm uses.

Of the 25 applications submitted in the GTA, five were refused as proposed (Table 3). Most of the requests for subdivisions were approved by the ALC panel, with only four refused as proposed. All of these refusals were justified as a means for preserving agricultural land by not supporting fragmentation into small parcel sizes. On some of the applications, reasons cited for refusals also pointed to compliance on parcel sizes for agricultural zoning. Chart 1. Number of Application to ALC by year (2006-2014)

* As of March, 2014

2

5 5

1

6

7

4 4

3

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014*


9

Table 1. ALC Applications by Area (2006-2014) Location/Electoral Area Number of Applications City of Terrace/Greater Terrace Area/Lakelse Lake (C) 25 Kispiox/Hazelton Area (B) 9 Gitlaxt’aamiks/New Aiyansh (A) 1 Unknown/Not Specified 2 Total 37 Table 2. ALC Decisions by Type of Application (2006-2014)

Application Decision

Type of Application

Subdivision Exclusion Inclusion Non-Farm

Use Corridor Soil Total Allow as Requested 13 0 1 3 0 0 17 Allow with Conditions 6 0 0 4 4 0 14 Refused as Proposed 5 0 1 0 0 0 6 Total 24 0 2 7 4 0 37 Table 3. ALC Applications for Greater Terrace Area (2006-2014)

Application Decision

Type of Application

Subdivision Exclusion Inclusion Non-Farm

Use Corridor Soil Total Allow as Requested 7 0 1 1 0 0 9 Allow with Conditions 4 0 0 3 4 0 11 Refused as Proposed 4 0 1 0 0 0 5 Total 15 0 2 4 4 0 25

Legislative framework The first step to assess the legislative framework for the GTA was to identify the policies, legislation (and bylaws), and governance structures related to agricultural land use planning for the City of Terrace and RDKS. Policy documents were identified as enforceable, aspirational, or enabling (refer to the appended glossary for definitions of these and other terms). The legislative framework of the GTA (Table 4) includes the City’s OCP and zoning bylaw and the zoning bylaws for RDKS. Two policy documents were identified as relevant for our purposes. The main policy document is the agricultural plan (Gagné and Kerby, 2013), which encompasses information from the other agricultural planning reports. The second policy document included in the assessment was the sustainability strategy for the City of Terrace (City of Terrace, 2009). The aim of the sustainability strategy is to establish a long-term vision (to 2050) that would guide City policy and local efforts to achieve efficient use of resources and address social, environmental, economic, cultural, and governance issues. The plan covered energy, housing, economic development, parks, heritage, and transportation, among other issues. One of the identified sustainability goals is to “maximize the amount of food that is grown, raised and produced in Terrace” (p. 16), which contributes to both public health, sense of community, and economic diversification (see pp. 24-7). The primary governance structure for agricultural land use planning at the local level in BC is an Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC). There is no current AAC that serves the GTA or RDKS, although establishing one is recommended in the agricultural plan. The ALC

10

Table 4. Legislative Framework for the Greater Terrace Area

PRO

VIN

CIA

L

[ALC] Annual Service Plans [MAL] Strengthening Farming [ALC] ALR and Community Planning Guidelines [Smith] “Planning for Agriculture”

Agricultural Land Commission Act Local Government Act Farm Practices Protection (Right to Farm) Act Forest and Range Practices Act Range Act Land Act Land Title Act Water Act Agricultural Land Reserve Use, Subdivision, and Procedure Regulation

Agricultural Land Commission [ALC Act] Administrative Tribunals Act Governance Policy for the Agricultural Land Commission

REQ

UIR

ED

INTE

GR

ATI

ON

LGA Part 25 849 (e) Purpose of regional growth strategy: maintaining the integrity of a secure and productive resource base, including the agricultural land reserve

RE

GIO

NA

L

Greater Terrace Area Agriculture Plan (2013)

Greater Terrace Zoning Bylaw 37 (2011) Lakelse Lake Zoning Bylaw 57 (2008) Thornhill Zoning Bylaw 194 (2012)

ALC North Panel Advisory Planning Commissions (Lakelse Lake, Thornhill)

REQ

UIR

ED

INTE

GR

ATI

ON LGA Part 25 46 Conflict with bylaws

A local government must ensure that its bylaws are consistent with the ALC Act. A bylaw that is inconsistent has no force or effect.

LGA Part 25 882 (3) (OCP) Adoption procedures 882 The local government must refer the plan to the ALC for comment.

LGA Part 25 946 (3) Subdivision to provide residence for a relative ALC Act 13 Dispute resolution on community issues

LO

CA

L

Our Strategy for Sustainability, Terrace 2050 (2009)

Terrace OCP (2011) City of Terrace Zoning Bylaw 1431 (1995)

Acts (provincial laws), bylaws (local government laws, e.g., official municipal plan) [italicised] Enforceable policy, regulations pursuant to acts [bold] Aspirational policy at all levels [plain text]

POLICY LEGISLATION GOVERNANCE

11

North Regional Panel makes decisions regarding ALC applications for the region. The RDKS also has two Advisory Planning Commissions (APCs), one in Thornhill and the other in Lakelse Lake. An APC is an independent body of local residents, appointed by the Regional District, with a mandate to provide input into the planning process. The power of an APC is limited with no decision-making responsibility; it only provides advice on matters respecting land use, community planning, or proposed bylaws and permits; it does not have any direct approval, ownership, or authority over matters that are referred to them, nor does an APC establish policy. Matters referred to an APC include applications to the ALC North Panel. Official Community Plan An OCP, as enforceable legislation implemented through zoning bylaws, is a key element of stability for a local framework. The purpose of an OCP is to establish a long-term vision for an area and its residents; it sets objectives and policies that guide decisions on land use management. Given its importance, we reviewed the City of Terrace OCP to understand the importance of agriculture among other priorities of public interest and land use policies. The importance of agriculture to the area is clearly evident. The Community Vision stated in the OCP is, “Terrace will prosper from its surrounding natural abundance through access to outdoor recreation, sustainable resource based industry and full use of its agricultural potential” (p. 7). Correspondingly, under Community Goals, the OCP sets a clear direction for supporting agriculture under the title of Abundant Re-localised Food System, with the stated goal as follows:

The City has the ability to play a key role in developing and supporting our local food systems and overall community food production capacity. Protecting our existing arable land will ensure the food security of residents today and into the future.

An OCP, if the plan area has agricultural lands, will include a land designation and description for its agricultural lands. These designations may be combined with other uses, such as Agriculture/Resource. The land designation in the City of Terrace is as follows:

Agriculture (AR1): The Agricultural designation is intended to preserve our community’s best quality arable lands for food production. Lands suitable for commercially viable farming activities and smaller scale food production will be maintained to ensure local food security can be achieved. Quality arable lands and lands within the Provincial Agriculture Land Reserve (ALR) are located within this land use designation.

This designation recognises the The purpose of this designation, as defined in the zoning bylaw, is to identify and preserve land for agricultural use which is within the ALR An OCP often includes a section on agricultural objectives. Here, too, we can get a sense of the importance of agriculture and the level of detail dedicated to supporting agriculture. Under its goal Abundant Re-localised Food System, the City of Terrace OCP includes the following four objectives for agriculture:


12

1. Promote land use choices that support community food security goals. 2. Increase the overall percentage of food grown and consumed locally. 3. Embrace food production as an important part of our past, present and future. 4. Promote and support community agricultural activities.

We also reviewed the agricultural land policies. The results are displayed in Table 5. The list of policies and regulations in the table are compiled from OCPs in Regional Districts throughout northern BC; they are included here as a means to assess the breadth of the policies in the City of Terrace OCP. The table shows that the OCP has only a limited set of policies for agricultural land. Although the OCP does not cover all elements included in the compiled list, and is not expected to, further study is needed to fully understand the implications of these differences are for guiding agricultural land use decisions. Table 5. Agricultural Policies and Regulations, City of Terrace Protect farmland/support ALC Inclusion is supported Minimise potential conflicts Farm Practices Protection Act Re-direct non-farm uses Water supply and management Use fencing, edge-planning, buffers Minimum parcel size (ha) (8 ha) Retain large holdings Discourage subdivision/small lots Support consolidation Preserve contiguous areas Minimise impact of roads, corridors Expand agricultural land area Conditions for subdivisions/NFU Permit uses that allow restoration Covenants on lands adjacent to ALR Comply with provincial regulations Prevent/manage invasive plants Support local, traditional food Support urban agriculture Support agri-tourism Consider future residential growth Measure alienation of farmland Reduce energy use/GHG Encourage economic development for agriculture Integrate with resource management on Crown land

In addition to the importance of agriculture, we also identified the statements that are most directly relevant to protecting agricultural land. These statements appear as goals, objectives, and policies in different parts of the plan, and have been included above.

Goal: Protecting our existing arable land will ensure the food security of residents today and into the future.


13

Policy: Maintain arable lands within the ALR. The purpose of the AR1 zone is to identify and

preserve land for agricultural use which is within the ALR, and generally located south of Graham Avenue.

For the South Fringe Area OCP, these multiple statements in different contexts reflect a moderate level of importance for protecting the area’s farmland. Content analysis of documents After documenting the legislative framework we assessed the contents of the documents (Tables 6 to 10). The results of this content analysis reflect the breadth and quality of the legislative framework. For this we used a three-point (check mark) scale indicating different levels of detail from minimal () to moderate () to high (). The criteria we used for this part of the assessment are included in Appendix: Criteria for Evaluating Content of Legislative Framework. Local government legislation documents With regard to the contents of the legislation documents, none possessed a high level of detail regarding agricultural land use planning (Tables 6 and 7). Of all the legislative documents assessed, the City of Terrace OCP contain the most detailed descriptions of agricultural land uses; however, this document does not contain background information for agriculture. All legislative documents cite the ALC Act and ALR lands. The City of Terrace and the RDKS Greater Terrace zoning bylaws contain a land use map indicating agricultural designations. The zoning bylaws for Greater Terrace and Thornhill have specific land designations for agriculture; the Lakelse Lake bylaw covers agricultural uses within its Rural land designation. None of the legislative documents cite the Right to Farm Act and there are no references to agricultural land use planning tools such as agricultural impact assessment or development permit areas, and no references to an Agricultural Advisory Committees. Local government policy documents The policy documents that we assessed included the GTA agricultural plan (Gagné and Kerby, 2013) and the City of Terrace sustainability strategy (see Tables 8 and 9). The agricultural plan (in conjunction with the agricultural land use inventory and land base report) has a high level of detail about the background on agriculture, area-specific farming issues, and recommendations for policy changes, as well as a recommendation to implement an AAC to oversee future agricultural land use decisions. The agricultural plan was the only document with a high level of detail about the ALC Act. The report provides recommendations to change the OCP or adopt other bylaws for the purpose of supporting agricultural activity in the area. The complementary report by Kerby (2013b) provides a comprehensive and detailed review of how the plan’s recommendations relate to the City of Terrace’s OCP and zoning bylaw. To date, the agricultural plan has been received by the local governments but not adopted (Table 10).


14

The City’s sustainability strategy includes agriculture within its vision, goals, and objectives. The plan highlights that, historically, agriculture was the primary activity in the area and that Terrace “was known as the ‘Okanagan of the North’ for its fruit production capabilities” (p. 25). The plan also discusses the present state of agriculture within the context of food security and sustainability for the region. The sustainability strategy (2009) is referenced within the agricultural plan and the Terrace OCP. Current Issues When reviewing the contents of the documents, we also explored two issues that have come up in the project that are current issues in most areas: small-lot agriculture/fragmentation of farmland; and alienation of farmland/foreign ownership. Small-lot agriculture/farmland fragmentation The combined issue of small-lot agriculture and fragmentation of the land base centres on what appears to be a growing awareness of food sovereignty. Much of this interest in small-lot agriculture is associated with new farmers and their need for affordable land that is reasonably close to population centres. What makes the demand for small-lot agriculture particularly important is that there is often little room within farmland protection legislative frameworks to accommodate smaller lots. The main reason is that sub-dividing into smaller lots is in direct conflict with the over-riding goal to not fragment the land base. The primary land use planning tool for preventing fragmentation is large minimum lot sizes. Thus, small lots and farmland protection are often in direct opposition. This tension between large minimum lot sizes and a desire for small lots exists in the GTA. Among the ALC applications, all of the refusals were justified by not supporting fragmentation into small parcel sizes. On some of the applications, reasons cited for refusals pointed to compliance on minimum parcel sizes for agricultural zoning. Yet, small-lot agriculture is mentioned in the City of Terrace OCP and sustainability strategy, and is a centerpiece of the GTA agricultural plan. Appropriately, the agricultural plan notes that small-scale farms might have issues with the current land use regulations within the GTA. The minimum parcel size in the City of Terrace is 8 ha (20 acres). The minimum parcel size in Greater Terrace (part of Electoral Area E and a Specified Portion of Electoral Area C of the Regional District) is 16 ha (40 acres). Specific recommendations are to have sub-areas within the GTA identified for special agricultural zones and to examine which types and densities of farming should be permitted within non-agricultural and non-rural use designations. These recommendations are aimed at ensuring stronger food production in the area. Alienation of farmland/foreign (out-of-province) ownership Ownership of land is not mentioned as an agricultural land use planning issue.

15

Table 6. Contents of local agricultural land use legislative documents

Name of document Legislative

Context Background


Recommendations

Regulations (enforceable policies,

procedures) Maps The City of Terrace OCP, Schedule A (2011) City of Terrace, Zoning Bylaw No. 1431 (1995) Greater Terrace Zoning Bylaw No. 37 (1976-2011) Thornhill Zoning Bylaw No. 194 (1983-2012) Lakelse Lake Zoning Bylaw No. 57 (1979-2008)

Table 7. Breadth and depth of legislative context: legislation documents

Name of document

Legislative context (legislation and policies) Govern Agric. land use planning tools

ALC Act Right

to Farm Water Act

Land Title Act

Local Gov’t Act AAC AIA DPAs

The City of Terrace OCP, Schedule A (2011) City of Terrace, Zoning Bylaw No. 1431 (1995) Greater Terrace Zoning Bylaw No. 37 (1976-2011) Thornhill Zoning Bylaw No. 194 (1983-2012) Lakelse Lake Zoning Bylaw No. 57 (1979-2008) Table 8. Contents of local agricultural land use policy documents

Name of document Legislative

Context Background


Recommendations

Regulations (enforceable policies,

procedures) Maps GTA Agricultural Plan (2013) Our Strategy for Sustainability, Terrace 2050 (2009) Table 9. Breadth and depth of legislative context: policy documents

Name of document

Legislative context (legislation and policies) Govern Agric. land use planning tools

ALC Act Right

to Farm Water Act

Land Title Act

Local Gov’t Act AAC AIA DPAs

GTA Agricultural Plan (2013) * Our Strategy for Sustainability, Terrace 2050 (2009) * In Recommendations report (Kerby, 2013b).


16

Table 10. Status of local agricultural land use policy documents Aspirational Enforceable

Name of document In progress Received by

Council

Comprehensive local land use area plan

Named in plan Led to revisions of

plan Adopted as by-law

(sub-area plan) GTA Agricultural Plan (2013)

17

Policy regimes The two policy regimes of farmland preservation and global competitiveness have influenced agricultural land use policy and legislation for over forty years. Food sovereignty, and its associated concerns with food security and demand for local food, is a nascent policy regime that is influencing agricultural land use planning. Within this context, the aim of our analysis was to assess how issues, ideas, interests/actors and institutions associated with the three policy regimes influence local agricultural planning. To complete the assessment of the presence and importance of the policy regimes we examined the documents that comprise the legislative framework. Presence and importance were measured as a function of both the level of influence of words, concepts, and statements that appear in the documents and of the placement of these words, concepts, and statements within each document. The criteria for measuring the policy regime statements are presented in Appendix: Criteria for determining level of influence of policy regimes. The results of the policy regime analysis for the GTA are presented in Tables 11 through 19. Of all the GTA documents in the legislative framework, three include statements related to the three policy regimes: City of Terrace OCP, the City’s sustainability strategy, and the agricultural plan.

Overall, the policy regime of food sovereignty appears to have the most influence over policy, based on the types, frequency, and placement of the statements (Tables 13, 16, and 19). The City’s OCP presents a clear focus on a goal of re-localising its food system, and this goal sets the context for all food-related issues and opportunities, including the protection of agricultural lands. The GTA agricultural plan has a similarly strong focus on food sovereignty, although, as shown in Tables 11, 14, and 17, many of the key pressures on the food system are related to global competitiveness, thereby creating both a need and opportunity for building the capacity of the local food system. Statements within the documents recognise the importance of food security and to maximise the potential for food security within the Terrace area. The City’s sustainability strategy aligns most closely with food sovereignty.

Farmland preservation (Tables 12, 15, and 18), although implicit throughout the GTA legislative framework, is not presented in a concerted way. Nevertheless, farmland preservation still appears to have a strong influence based on several clear statements in the City’s OCP about the need to protect the best quality arable lands and to protect the quality of the land base, especially concerning the erosion of soil in the floodplains. For example, the OCP has a clear objective to protect farmland: “Protecting our existing arable land will ensure the food security of residents today and into the future” (p. 11). However, the strength of this commitment is weakened by language to explore rather than commit to farmland preservation, e.g., the goal is to “Explore options to maintain and expand high quality agricultural land” (p. 11; emphasis added). The GTA agricultural plan has statements of medium influence as far as objectives, recommendations, and driving issues. Of the 90 recommendations, only two focus explicitly on farmland protection. Recommendation #25 is about providing more information about ALR lands and Recommendation #26 is a request to review ALR boundaries, as some good lands may have been missed and others have since been lost to erosion.

The City of Terrace OCP and the GTA agricultural plan have statements of mixed influence regarding global competitiveness. There is one statement of objectives in the agricultural plan of high influence that is consistent with supporting global competitiveness as a policy: “Identify ways to develop agricultural capacity and productivity through enabling


18

policies, infrastructure, and the creation of organizations that can facilitate and provide economies of scale in the production and trade of local food” (p. 3). Overall though, the relevant statements identify issues of global competitiveness that affect the local agricultural sector, thus giving rise to a greater interest in and opportunity for building the capacity of the local food system in order to improve self-sufficiency and food security. For example, the City’s OCP (p. 11) states, “Global pressures facing large-scale farming, including higher oil prices and climate change, will continue to increase the need for greater self-sufficiency in our food systems.”

19

Table 11. Analytical framework for policy regimes at local level: global competitiveness documents GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS

Vision, Goals, Objectives, Recommendations Driving Issues, Concerns Regulations Action Items

Lev

el o

f Inf

luen

ce

High Influence GTA Agricultural Plan GTA Agricultural Plan

Medium Influence City of Terrace OCP

Low Influence GTA Agricultural Plan GTA Agricultural Plan

Table 12. Analytical framework for policy regimes at local level: farmland preservation documents

FARMLAND PRESERVATION Vision, Goals, Objectives,

Recommendations Driving Issues, Concerns Regulations Action Items

Lev

el o

f Inf

luen

ce

High Influence City of Terrace OCP City of Terrace OCP

Medium Influence City of Terrace OCP GTA Agricultural Plan GTA Agricultural Plan City of Terrace OCP

Low Influence GTA Agricultural Plan

Table 13. Analytical framework for policy regimes at local level: food sovereignty documents

FOOD SOVERIGNTY Vision, Goals, Objectives,


Lev

el o

f Inf

luen

ce

High Influence City of Terrace OCP GTA Agricultural Plan

Medium Influence Terrace 2050: Our Strategy for Sustainability City of Terrace OCP

Low Influence Terrace 2050: Our Strategy for Sustainability City of Terrace OCP City of Terrace OCP


20

Table 14: Analytical framework for policy regime at local level: global competitiveness themes GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS


Lev

el o

f Inf

luen

ce High Influence

Identify ways to develop agricultural capacity and productivity through enabling policies, infrastructure, and the creation of organizations that can facilitate and provide economies of scale in the production and trade of local food

There are a number of pressures facing global agriculture that suggest that food prices are likely to substantially increase in the foreseeable future.

Medium Influence

Global pressures facing large-scale farming, including higher oil prices and climate change, will continue to increase the need for greater self-sufficiency in our food systems.

Low Influence

(Global) agricultural production needs to increase by 60 percent in the next 40 years

Agriculture and agri-business in Canada provided 1 in 8 jobs and 8.1 percent of GDP

Table 15: Analytical framework for policy regime at local level: farmland preservation themes

FARMLAND PRESERVATION Vision, Goals, Objectives,


Lev

el o

f Inf

luen

ce

High Influence

[Goal] Protecting our existing arable land will ensure the food security of residents today and into the future.

The Agricultural [land use] designation is intended to preserve the best quality arable lands for food production.

Lands suitable for commercially viable farming activities and smaller scale food production will be maintained

Medium Influence

Explore options to maintain and expand high quality agricultural land.

Maintain arable lands within the ALR The location of agricultural operations are

important in planning for agricultural land uses [section of ALC and ALR in Chapter 2 of

agricultural plan]

Although these areas may or may not have protection through the ALR, it is important that regional and local governments be supportive in preserving and enhancing their agricultural capabilities

[Supporting policies] Explore options to maintain and

expand high quality agricultural land for food production and farming.

Maintain arable lands within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR).

Low Influence Consider undertaking

an inventory of city lands to better identify these resources.


21

Table16: Analytical framework for policy regime at local level: food sovereignty themes

FOOD SOVERIGNTY Vision, Goals, Objectives,


Lev

el o

f Inf

luen

ce

High Influence

Strategy 3 – Abundant Re-localized Food Systems o The City has the ability to play a key role

in developing and supporting our local food systems and overall community food production capacity.

o To the degree that we can produce and secure our food locally, we reduce our reliance on outside food systems…and ultimately allows us to become more self-sufficient.

o Moving toward a re-localized food system for the City of Terrace will also serve to increase access to healthy food for our residents, while fostering community connections and environmental health.

Global pressures facing large-scale farming, including higher oil prices and climate change, will continue to increase the need for greater self-sufficiency in our food systems.

Current agricultural production does not meet local demand for fresh food.

Agricultural production…if it is small-small scale and geared towards local markets, it increases self-sufficiency, food security, and opportunities for obtaining fresh food.

Medium Influence

4.0 Sustainability Goals: ‘Local Food – Maximize the amount of food that is grown, raised, and produced in Terrace.’ o Objective 3.2 – ‘Increase local food

production o 'Objective 1: 'Promote land use choices

that support community food security goals.'

'Objective 1: 'Promote land use choices that support community food security goals.' (p. 11)

Objective 2: 'Increase the overall percentage of food grown and consumed locally.'

Low Influence

If the City of Terrace wishes to have agriculture contribute to the local economy and community food security at any significant level, then agribusiness and larger scale farms need to be supported by the City through appropriate planning and bylaws.

Terrace is currently remote from many food sources and localized food storage for grocery markets is enough for only 2-3 days…

[supporting policies for Re-localizing Food objectives]

Expand areas in Terrace where urban agricultural activities are permitted through a review of current bylaws and regulations.

Encourage small scale commercial food production where zoning permits.

[supporting policies for Re-localizing Food objectives]


22

Table 17: Analytical framework for policy regimes at local level: frequency of global competitiveness GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS


Lev

el o

f Inf

luen

ce

High Influence 1 1 0 0

Medium Influence 0 1 0 0

Low Influence 0 2 0 0

Table 18: Analytical framework for policy regimes at local level: frequency of farmland preservation FARMLAND PRESERVATION


Lev

el o

f Inf

luen

ce




Table 19: Analytical framework for policy regimes at local level: frequency of food sovereignty FOOD SOVERIGNTY


Lev

el o

f Inf

luen

ce




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Stakeholder analysis In addition to understanding the policies and legislation, it is important to acknowledge that these documents are influenced by various political forces. The aim of the stakeholder analysis is to document different organisations and institutions that participate in and thereby influence agricultural land use planning processes and decisions. Our stakeholder analysis involved three aspects: identify relevant stakeholders; complete a profile for each stakeholder; assess each stakeholder’s level of influence within agricultural land use planning. For each stakeholder we aimed to complete a comprehensive profile based on secondary sources, including promotional materials on websites; reports, positions papers and other publications; statements in the media; committee meeting minutes, etc. The same level of information was not available for each stakeholder.

Based on the information collected for the profiles we then assessed their level of influence using a power-influence grid1. This analysis leads to four categories of stakeholders (Figure 2):

Players: have both an interest and significant power Subjects: have an interest but little power Context setters: have power but little direct interest Crowd: have little interest or power

Figure 2. Categories of stakeholders

Within the RDKS there is one primary stakeholder, the Greater Terrace Food Association, which is comprised of local residents. This association promotes food and farmland issues; however, we did not find any documents that cite the group as having influence on

1 Bryson, John 2004. “What to do When Stakeholders Matter: Stakeholder Identification and Analysis Techniques.” Policy Management Review 6(1): 21-53.


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policies or legislation decisions within the Regional District. Thus, the group has a high interest in the GTA’s agricultural activities and land use planning but has a low level of power. Using the categories of stakeholders, the Greater Terrace Food Association is classified as a Subject (Table 19). The Skeena Valley Farmers Market is another stakeholder that contributes to policy development. A new Farmers Institute is in its early stages of development. Table 20. Stakeholder analysis: power-interest grid

INTE

RES

T

Hig

h

Greater Terrace Food Association

Skeena Valley Farmers Market

Med

ium

Low

Low Medium High POWER


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Discussion Assessment of Principles Our assessment of the four principles is summarised in Table 21. As supported through the results discussed in this report, the sources of strength for the local legislative framework are its ability to maximise stability and accommodate flexibility. The framework effectively integrates public priorities across jurisdictions, but is challenged by a high level of uncertainty associated with permitted non-farm uses of agricultural lands. Table 21. Principles of Land Use Planning, Greater Terrace Area

Regional District Maximise stability

Integrate across

jurisdictions Minimise

uncertainty Accommodate

flexibility RDKS: Greater Terrace Area *** * ** ** * = Very weak; ***** = Very strong

Maximise stability A stable legislative framework for protecting farmland is one that is not easily changed at the whim of shifting political interests; it is well-entrenched in acts of legislation, policy, and governance structures that are based on clear, concise language, and can hold up to court challenge. Thus, stability is a critical measure of the strength of an agricultural land use planning framework. By these terms, the stability of the GTA’s legislative framework for agricultural land use planning meets basic standards. The City of Terrace OCP, as an enforceable piece of legislation, contributes to stability, but other than the basic requirements mandated under the Local Government Act, it does not contribute more to agricultural land use planning or farmland protection. Although the OCP provides some stability with its objectives and vision, the guidelines and regulations for agricultural land use planning are moderate. The OCP includes designated zones for agricultural uses; however, it does not provide a detailed set of guidelines for agricultural land use planning. The RDKS’s zoning bylaws include agricultural land designations, thereby contributing to the stability of the framework, but land designations are limited in scope. The GTA agricultural plan contributes to the stability of the legislative framework; however, it is only an aspirational document. If the agricultural plan leads to a formally adopted AAP, as intended, then this would contribute significantly to the stability of the legislative framework. The Terrace sustainability strategy is an aspirational document that includes a vision for the next 50 years. Although there are many statements emphasizing Terrace’s opportunities for agricultural development, it does not contribute substantially to a stable framework for agricultural land use planning.


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Minimise uncertainty The presence of uncertainty, typically introduced via ambiguous language or exceptions, is a critical measure of the weakness of an agricultural land use planning framework. Thus, in addition to maximising the stability of a legislative framework through enforceable policies people want to know they can rely on these rules and regulations to be applied consistently under different circumstances. For the GTA, the absence of a strong, stable legislative framework contributes to a higher level of uncertainty for agricultural land use planning in the region. A statement in the OCP (p. 18) about re-evaluating ALR lands “with marginal soil classification and no history of agricultural activity” may be reasonable, but introduces uncertainty about these areas of farmland and about the precision of the criteria for making such evaluations. Another element of the OCP that contributes to uncertainty, as noted by Kerby (2013b, p. 16), is a conflict between the OCP designation of the West bench area lands as “Rural Residential” and the agricultural potential of these lands. Kerby raises similar concerns about the OCP designation of some “Neighbourhood Residential” lands. Recommendations presented within the agricultural plan, such as the use of an AAC or explicit bylaws for agricultural land uses within the area, can respond to these concerns. Integrate across jurisdictions Integrating policies and priorities across jurisdictions is a foundation for building cohesion across provincial, regional, and local governments. One can also think of integration as a formal “linkage” that provides consistency among them. In order to successfully integrate policies across jurisdictions there must be sufficient details about the legislative context that guides and constrains local government plans and strategies. By this measure of integration, we found that the GTA legislative framework is minimal, relying on limited references to the ALC Act and ALR. There is very little integration of other relevant pieces of legislation, such as the Right to Farm act. The GTA agricultural plan is a joint effort between the City of Terrace and the RDKS, which is a very positive contribution to integrated agricultural land use planning. More formal steps can be done, as recognized in the GTA agricultural plan: “Coordination between the City of Terrace's bylaws and one or more of the zoning bylaws within rural Greater Terrace may be necessary in order to realize the intent of the recommendations within the Greater Terrace Agricultural Area Plan” (p. 5). Accommodate flexibility Creating an effective legislative framework is an act of balance without being too stable so that it cannot be changed when needed or too strict so that it cannot be applied in a range of circumstances. Thus, flexibility is necessary in order to moderate the restrictive effects of maximising stability and minimising uncertainty. The means to accommodate flexibility is typically done through governance mechanisms. The GTA has no AAC in place relating to agriculture, although it does have two APCs that cover two areas; instead, the local governments appear to rely heavily on the North Panel of the ALC for this function. This level of reliance is evident in the high number of ALC applications that go forward to the North Panel without comment. The GTA agricultural plan recommends establishing an AAC to provide advice to


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council; in addition, the plan provides substantive advice and background information relating to agricultural land use planning within the area. However, without proper implementation of the plan’s recommendation, there is no effective local mechanism that can accommodate a level of flexibility in order to balance local priorities. In addition to these four principles, we also identified other factors that influence the quality of a legislative framework, including comprehensiveness of document contents, the influence of the three policy regimes, and the influence of stakeholders. Comprehensive The GTA agricultural plan and the Terrace sustainability strategy are comprehensive documents. The agricultural plan notes the lack of agricultural infrastructure, resources, and confusion over regulations and bylaws as a pressing issue for local farmers and producers in the area. Specifically, storage, processing, and distribution mechanisms are highlighted in the document. The sustainability strategy also notes the importance of creating stronger resources for agri-business to survive global pressures and continue with agricultural production into the future. However, other than a few minor statements, the legislative documents do not provide a comprehensive framework to support agricultural production in the region. Influence of policy regimes The legislation and policy documents of the local legislative framework of the GTA cover all three policy regimes (Table 22). Based on our analysis, we found that the legislation and policy documents of the GTA focus more on food sovereignty than on farmland preservation. The GTA agricultural plan, which was produced to help with agricultural production in the area as well as farmland protection, includes statements about farmland preservation; however, food sovereignty has a higher level of overall influence. Global competitiveness appears within the GTA framework, although not as an area of policy to pursue; rather, the issues of global trade present a changing environment within which greater self-sufficiency is needed to improve food security.

Table 22. Overall Influence of Policy Regimes, Greater Terrace Area

Policy Regime


Recommendations Driving Issues,

Concerns Regulations Action Items Global Competitiveness Farmland Preservation Food Sovereignty Low Medium High


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Stakeholder analysis The Greater Terrace Food Association is an active group that focusses on food issues within the area, but appears to have little influence over agricultural land use policies. The City of Terrace has a high power with medium interest in agricultural land use planning and food security in the area. The GTA agricultural plan was effective in its inclusion of multiple perspectives, surveying producers in the area, as well as noting the key players’ and the general population’s concerns and interests regarding agricultural production in the area. The plan also mentions the interests of the city and the positive impact of agriculture on employment.


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Conclusion Overall, the GTA has a somewhat weak legislative framework of agricultural land use planning. There is a lack of detail within the legislative framework with specific gaps regarding integration with provincial legislation. However, the GTA agricultural plan is a very positive step to strengthen agricultural land use planning in the area. By adopting the recommendations of the plan, clarifying the role and mandate of the City and RDKS, and increasing the focus on farmland protection, the local governments could strengthen its legislative framework and become a leader in agricultural land use planning, effectively moving toward its full agricultural potential as the “Okanagan of the North.”


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References City of Terrace (2009). Terrace 2050: Our Strategy for Sustainability. Terrace, BC: City of Terrace. City of Terrace (2011). Official Community Plan Schedule A. Terrace, BC: City of Terrace. Connell, D. J. (2009). Planning and Its Orientation to the Future. International Planning Studies, 14(1), 85-98. Gagné, L. and N. Kerby (2013). Greater Terrace Agricultural Area Plan Report. Terrace, BC: City of Terrace and the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine. Kerby, N. (2013a). Greater Terrace Agricultural Area Plan: Land Use and the Agricultural Land Base. Terrace, BC: City of Terrace and the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine. Kerby, N. (2013b). Greater Terrace Agricultural Area Plan: Recommendations regarding the City of Terrace's Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw #1431. Terrace, BC: City of Terrace and the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine. Ministry of Agriculture (2013). Land Use Inventory Report: Greater Terrace. Reference Number: 800.510-73.2013. Regional District of Kitimat Stikine [RDKS]. (n.d.). Welcome. Retrieved from http://www.rdks.bc.ca/ Runka, G. (2006). “BC’s Agricultural Land Reserve – Its Historical Roots.” Seminar presented at Planning for Food, World Planners Congress, Vancouver, BC, June 21, 2006. Smith, B. (1998). Planning for Agriculture. Victoria, BC: Agricultural Planning Commission. Statistics Canada. (2011a). Census of Agriculture, Farm and Farm Operator Data, catalogue no. 95-640-XWE. Statistics Canada. (2011b). Kitimat-Stikine, British Columbia (Code 5949) and British Columbia (Code 59) (table). Census Profile. 2011 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-316-XWE. Ottawa. Released October 24, 2012. Statistics Canada. (2012). Focus on Geography Series, 2011 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-310-XWE2011004. Ottawa, Ontario. Analytical products, 2011 Census. Last updated October 24, 2012.


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Glossary Policy:

A formal statement of intent; principles, rules, or guidelines that are designed to determine or influence major decisions or actions and all activities that fall within the domain of the policy.

Enforceable policy:

Policy with clear statements of intent to enforce (often with penalty for failing to follow the policy)

Aspirational policy:

Policy without clear statements of intent to enforce (often with penalty for failing to follow the policy); a broad statement about desired outcomes, objectives, or activities

Enabling policy:

Policy with clear statements of intent to implement a policy (e.g., provide resources)

Policy regime:

A policy regime and its changes refer to the combination of issues, ideas, interests, actors and institutions that are involved.

Legislation: A law (or Order in Council) enacted by a legislature or governing body; can have many purposes: to regulate, to authorize, to proscribe, to provide (funds), to sanction, to grant, to declare or to restrict. By-law (bylaw):

Local laws established by municipalities as regulated by the provincial government. Note: for our purposes, a by-law is considered part of legislation.

Regulation (pursuant to Act):

Is a form of legislation (law) designed with the intent to regulate; a rule or law designed to control or govern conduct; creates, limits, constrains a right, creates or limits a duty, or allocates a responsibility.

Governance:

Methods, systems, or processes of governing; the act of implementing policy and legislation. For our purposes we are concerned with groups (e.g., commissions, advisory committees) that have the authority to apply, review, or enforce policy and legislation specific to agricultural land use planning.


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Acknowledgements

Funding for the provincial project is provided by the Northern Agriculture Research Initiative, a program of the Omineca Beetle Action Coalition and the Cariboo-Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition, and by the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia Partnering Fund. The national project is funded by an Insight Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

The authors wish to thank Ted Pellegrino, Planner, Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, and Tara Irwin, City Planner, City of Terrace, for their insights and feedback on the development of this report. Thank you also to Marli Bodhi for her early work on this report.

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Appendix: Criteria for Evaluating Content of Legislative Framework Legislation documents

Legislative Context (Provincial) Background Vision, Goals, Objectives Local policies Maps

0 None None None None None

Brief statements that include at least one reference to the main provincial legislation or policy related to agricultural land use planning. Little too context provided other than perhaps a statement that acknowledges the local governments duty to uphold these acts and policies.

Very brief description of agriculture background. This may include a minimal section or statistics on historical context, background and issues, and demographics on agriculture/farming.

Includes a vision, goal, or objective for agriculture but with minimal explanation or rationale.

One or two brief statements about agricultural land use policies, perhaps with little context.

Provides at least one (1) general land use map(s) with agricultural land use shown.

Expanded statements that reference more than one of the main provincial legislation and policies and provides added context to the above. Multiple statements that outline how provincial legislation and policies “fit” in the local context.

Includes multiple sections dedicated to information and statistics about agricultural background. May also reference an agricultural plan or report.

Includes a vision, goal, and objective for agriculture with a statement of explanation and some action items.

Several statements (three to five) about agricultural land use policy presented within local context. May also reference an agricultural plan.

Provides at least one (1) general land use map(s) showing agricultural land uses and at least one (1) agriculture specific map showing designated agricultural land.

Comprehensive that outlines how provincial legislation and policies “fit” in the local context.. May include diagrams to help establish thread of consistency among different levels of government.

Comprehensive account of agricultural background . May also reference an agricultural plan or report.

Includes a detailed section on vision, goals, and objectives for agriculture that outlines a rationale and action items. May also document relations with other land uses and local priorities.

Detailed section of agricultural land use policy statements (more than five) or agricultural sub-area plan adopted as by-law. May also reference an agricultural plan.

Provides two (2) or more agricultural land use maps including a map showing designated agricultural land. May also include Other maps to illustrate specific issues or policies (future areas of study, development permit areas, current land tenure).


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Policy documents

Legislative Context (Provincial) Background Vision, Goals, Objectives Local Policies Maps

Same as above Same as above Same as above Different Same as above

0 None None None None None

Brief statements that include at least one reference to the main provincial legislation or policy related to agricultural land use planning. Little to no context provided other than perhaps a statement that acknowledges the local governments duty to uphold these acts and policies.

Very brief description of agriculture background. This may include a minimal section or statistics on historical context, background and issues, and demographics on agriculture/farming.

Includes a vision, goal, or objective for agriculture but with minimal explanation or rationale.

Several statements (three to five) about agricultural land use policy presented within local context.

Provides at least one (1) general land use map(s) with agricultural land use shown.

Expanded statements that references more than one of the main and policies and provides added context to the above. Multiple statements that outline how provincial legislation and policies “fit” in the local context.

Includes multiple sections dedicated to information and statistics about agricultural background. May also reference an agricultural plan or report.

Includes a goof presentation of vision, goal, and objective for agriculture with a statement of explanation, a few recommendation items, and some action items.

Comprehensive section of agricultural land use policy statements (more than five).

Provides at least one (1) general land use map(s) showing agricultural land uses and at least one (1) agriculture specific map showing designated agricultural land.

Comprehensive that outlines how provincial legislation and policies “fit” in the local context.. May include diagrams to help establish thread of consistency among different levels of government.

Comprehensive account of agricultural background. May also reference an agricultural plan or report.

Includes a detailed section on vision, goals, and objectives for agriculture with an extensive and detailed list of recommendations and/or action items.

Comprehensive agricultural plan. May also refer to background report.

Provides two (2) or more agricultural land use maps including a map showing designated agricultural land. May also include Other maps to illustrate specific issues or policies (future areas of study, development permit areas, current land tenure).


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Appendix: Criteria for determining level of influence of policy regimes

Placement (significance) within Document

Aims, Goals, Objectives

Mission, Vision, Mandate, Purpose Driving issues, concerns Action items

Leve

l of i

nflu

ence

High influence

A clear, explicit statement as part of a short list (three to

five) of items in an enforceable policy or

regulation

A clear, explicit statement at the highest level of an enforceable policy or

regulation

Medium influence A clear, explicit statement as part of a short list (three to

five) of items in an aspirational policy

A clear, explicit statement at the highest level of an

aspirational policy

A clear, explicit statement as part of a short list (three to

five) items in a policy

A clear, explicit statement as part of a short list (three to five) of items in a policy

Low influence A clear, explicit statement as part of a long list of items in

an aspirational policy

A clear, explicit statement as part of a long list of items in

an aspirational policy

A clear, explicit statement as part of a long list of items in a

policy

case study of greater terrace area, british columbia (city of...

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