Agricultural Land Reserve
Encyclopedia
The Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) is a collection of land in the Canadian province of British Columbia
in which agriculture is recognized as the priority use. Farming is encouraged and non-agricultural uses are controlled. In total, the ALR covers approximately 47000 square kilometres (18,146.8 sq mi) and includes private and public lands
that may be farmed, forested or are vacant. Some ALR blocks cover thousands of hectares while others are small pockets of only a few hectares. The reserve is administered by the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC), consisting of a chair and six vice-chairs appointed by the Lieutenant Governor-in-Council of British Columbia
(cabinet) and twelve regular commissioners appointed by the provincial Minister of Agriculture and Lands.
The ALR was established by the British Columbia New Democratic Party government of Dave Barrett
in 1973, and has been controversial since its inception. It was intended to protect valuable agricultural land that has among the most fertile soil in the country from being developed. Despite having been in existence for over 30 years, however, the ALR continues to be threatened by urbanization
.
Critics of ALR policy claim that ALR restrictions have caused land prices — especially in British Columbia's rapidly growing Lower Mainland
region — to artificially inflate (the region is hemmed in by the ocean, mountains, and the US border, limiting available land supply). The claim is also made that owners of land in the ALR are not sufficiently compensated for their property, and that the ALR constitutes unreasonable interference in private property rights
. Critics also maintain that in densely populated areas, agricultural land exists mainly as tiny several-acre plots that barely meet the minimum lot size for ALR regulations, destroying the economy of scale of large-scale farming.
Defenders of ALR policy respond that the province has little arable land
, especially of such productivity as exists on the Fraser River
delta
around Vancouver
, and that the ALR protects British Columbia's important agriculture sector. They also suggest that a large part of the Lower Mainland's development pressure comes from the lack of a unified land use and transportation plan for the Greater Vancouver Regional District
, and the failure of municipalities to replace sprawl with density. Finally, they claim that the ALR is a reasonable extension of the government's right to zone
land for various uses. Defenders of the ALR have been distressed in recent years at what they see as the weakening of the policy, by the designation of golf courses as "agricultural land" and the removal of ALR-protected lands for residential, commercial, and industrial development.
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British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
in which agriculture is recognized as the priority use. Farming is encouraged and non-agricultural uses are controlled. In total, the ALR covers approximately 47000 square kilometres (18,146.8 sq mi) and includes private and public lands
Crown land
In Commonwealth realms, Crown land is an area belonging to the monarch , the equivalent of an entailed estate that passed with the monarchy and could not be alienated from it....
that may be farmed, forested or are vacant. Some ALR blocks cover thousands of hectares while others are small pockets of only a few hectares. The reserve is administered by the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC), consisting of a chair and six vice-chairs appointed by the Lieutenant Governor-in-Council of British Columbia
Executive Council of British Columbia
The Executive Council of British Columbia is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
(cabinet) and twelve regular commissioners appointed by the provincial Minister of Agriculture and Lands.
The ALR was established by the British Columbia New Democratic Party government of Dave Barrett
Dave Barrett
David Barrett, OC , commonly known as Dave Barrett, is a retired politician and social worker in British Columbia, Canada...
in 1973, and has been controversial since its inception. It was intended to protect valuable agricultural land that has among the most fertile soil in the country from being developed. Despite having been in existence for over 30 years, however, the ALR continues to be threatened by urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
.
Critics of ALR policy claim that ALR restrictions have caused land prices — especially in British Columbia's rapidly growing Lower Mainland
Lower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2007, 2,524,113 people live in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there.While the term Lower Mainland has been...
region — to artificially inflate (the region is hemmed in by the ocean, mountains, and the US border, limiting available land supply). The claim is also made that owners of land in the ALR are not sufficiently compensated for their property, and that the ALR constitutes unreasonable interference in private property rights
Property rights (economics)
A property right is the exclusive authority to determine how a resource is used, whether that resource is owned by government or by individuals. All economic goods have a property rights attribute...
. Critics also maintain that in densely populated areas, agricultural land exists mainly as tiny several-acre plots that barely meet the minimum lot size for ALR regulations, destroying the economy of scale of large-scale farming.
Defenders of ALR policy respond that the province has little arable land
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
, especially of such productivity as exists on the Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
around Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, and that the ALR protects British Columbia's important agriculture sector. They also suggest that a large part of the Lower Mainland's development pressure comes from the lack of a unified land use and transportation plan for the Greater Vancouver Regional District
Greater Vancouver Regional District
Metro Vancouver is the brand name of the board of the inter-municipal administrative body known as the Greater Vancouver Regional District , a regional district in British Columbia, Canada...
, and the failure of municipalities to replace sprawl with density. Finally, they claim that the ALR is a reasonable extension of the government's right to zone
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
land for various uses. Defenders of the ALR have been distressed in recent years at what they see as the weakening of the policy, by the designation of golf courses as "agricultural land" and the removal of ALR-protected lands for residential, commercial, and industrial development.
See also
- Prime farmlandPrime farmlandPrime farmland is a designation assigned by U.S. Department of Agriculture defining land that has the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops and is also available for these land uses....
- Greenbelt (Golden Horseshoe)Greenbelt (Golden Horseshoe)The Greenbelt is a permanently protected area of green space, farmland, forests, wetlands, and watersheds, located in Southern Ontario, Canada. It surrounds a significant portion of Canada's most populated and fastest-growing area - The Golden Horseshoe....
a similar reserve in Ontario
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