Planning for Agriculture

Planning for Agriculture is a second component, along with Farm Practices Protection, of the Strengthening Farming Program.

Planning for Agriculture is broadly focused on developing strong working relationships between local governments, the farm community and the province to ensure that agriculture is given appropriate consideration in local government planning processes.

New legislative tools in the Local Government Act and Land Title Act have been designed to provide local governments with improved opportunities to ensure a climate of security and stability for farming and ranching in their communities.  In turn, this will help assure that the benefits that a strong agricultural sector brings to the municipalities and regions of BC will continue.
 

Examples of opportunities to plan for agriculture include:

• encouraging agricultural land use inventories and the application of geographic information system (GIS) technology to increase the understanding of farm systems and land use relationships;

• ensuring greater land use compatibility at the time of urban subdivision next to farming;

• encouraging policies in Official Community Plans (OCPs) aimed at maintaining and enhancing farming;

• designating Development Permit Areas (DPAs) for the protection of farming within OCPs to improve compatibility;

• appointing local government agricultural advisory committees;

• adopting agricultural area plans in key farming communities;

• encouraging focused planning at the urban / farm interface to improve land use compatibility and to ensure a secure operating environment for the farm industry; and

• reviewing official community plans, zoning bylaws and using farm bylaws to ensure a balanced and positive regulatory climate that provides opportunity for the growth of farming and ranching in BC.