Pacific Regional Society of Soil Science Annual Workshop Review

The thematic link of this year’s PRSSS Workshop – the past, present and future of British Columbia’s Agriculture Land Reserve (ALR) – was very timely. In the week leading up to the workshop, the BC Government announced the ALR would cease to exist as it had been known for the last four decades. Protections of agricultural land would continue to remain strong in the Okanagan Valley and the Fraser Valley, however in the remaining parts of the province, protections of ALR land would become more ‘flexible’ to allow for farmers and landowners to manage their land without as many restrictions. Not being native to BC, the discussions, opinions, histories and perspectives on the future of the ALR that were shared were very informative and insightful. Some of the highlights are included here.

The ALR was legislated into BC law in the early 1970s. Though four decades have since past, many of the individuals who were are part of its creation are still active and passionate about the work that initiated much of their career.  One such individual, Terry Lewis, described the history of ALR lands in BC in five phases with an emphasis on the importance of soil knowledge in each phase. In Phase 1 provincial land was still being settled and agricultural land developed. Restrictions were in place for forest reserves which were the drivers for soil surveys in the central and northern regions of the province, but divided these surveys between provincial and federal jurisdictions so no clear map of BC soils existed. In Phase 2, soil surveying became more important for reasons of taxation, irrigation, identifying hazards and other needs in areas that were becoming more populated such as the Fraser Valley and Okanagan. Key individuals (which now seem to be household names in the province) spearheaded the training for execution for the soil survey namely Norm Sprout, Herb Luttmerding and Gary Runka. In Phase 3, BC developed a land inventory resource that classified and categorized land capability. The BC Land Inventory was done to enhance and better meet the localized needs (compared to the Canadian Land Inventory) of BC regional planners and biologists because of the provinces topographical, climatic and pedologic complexity. In Phase 4, the science that allowed the surveys to be accomplished was put into policy – the BCLI became the biophysical basis for land use planning, zoning, and temporary land freezes on agricultural land. This is also the time the ALR was developed.

I was keen to learn the soil surveyors were the ones to draft maps of ‘suggested ALR’ land based on environmentally sensitive land and indicating where urban growth could happen for a five year period. The Regional Districts were required to prepare ALR plans and process to put lands into the reserve. The Agricultural Land Commission evaluated the plans and forwarded them to the Provincial Government to be vetted for achieved intention (preserving best agricultural land for economic purposes, farmland preservation and future food sovereignty) before approving.  Phase 5 (and 6) bring us to the present where the ALR is threatened by urban pressures in the south, natural resource (gas and forestry) pressures in the north, fragmentation is reality and many are unsure what the best steps forward are with regard to the ALR.

I heard a number of negative perspectives on changes to the ALR, and some that were more ambiguous. Personally I don’t have enough information to make a decision on where I stand. The intent of the ALR is something I respect – I believe food sovereignty and protecting our best agricultural lands is worth pursuing as someone who is very active in BC Agriculture – but at the same time am very wary of being afraid of change. Learning that the ALR boundaries were designed in the 70s for five years of urban growth tells me that indeed the ALR boundaries need to be revisited – our population has changed. Further, the ALR was developed using technology and resources available in the 1960s and 1970s since when landscape scale assessments have improved. The financial resources may not be as available as they were then to execute these assessments, but as Dr. Les Lavkulich of UBC shared in his closing, we can’t continue to make our land use decisions based on soils information that is 40 years old. Landscapes shift and as such soil surveys have a lifespan of 20 years.  Maybe then it is a time for a change?

It was neat to be a part of a conversation that spanned so many generations of soil, agriculture and environmental enthusiasts. As someone starting their career, the realities of my generation appear to be more about moving forward with the scientific knowledge and skills that have been developed to date to maximize the impact of fabricated and reclamation soils to mitigate some of the seemingly irreversible change that is being driven by economic interests on BC’s landscape.

I don’t know what direction is the right or wrong one for BC’s ALR, but I do know that the conversations that are being had are worth having.  As was reiterated several times by speakers during the PRSSS Workshop, knowledge is the basis for any decision. As soil scientists we must have an understanding today of not only the molecular but also landscape level processes that are happening, we must ‘survive politics’ to influence decision makers, and we must continue to gain field knowledge to really know the land we are dealing with. This is how the best future for agricultural land in BC will be decided.