At its Oct. 28 meeting, the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) board reviewed a proposed Agricultural Policy that will apply to new developments within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR).
CRD chair Al Richmond says it provides a regulatory framework that will also be built into the zoning conditions, including specifications for fencing, buffering and screening of new residential subdivisions.
The policy will include requirements for minimum lot sizes for land abutting existing agricultural operations or Crown land, he adds, and for the retention of natural features along the boundaries between subdivisions and agricultural land.
In 2003, the CRD had Cariboo Geographic Systems in 100 Mile House prepare a report containing recommendations for subdivisions plan adjacent agriculture operations and Crown range, Richmond explains.
Now, the resulting policy is being distributed to stakeholders for comment and input, he adds, and will be posted soon on the CRD website at www.cariboord.bc.ca, under the Planning Department section.
It will also require developers to fence subdivision lands in agricultural areas to keep ranging cattle out, Richmond notes.
“What happens sometimes is people buy this property and they don’t want to fence it, and they open [range] gates and let cattle onto the highway. So, this policy will require them to fence their property, and to maintain those fences.”
By dealing with ALR edge planning and encouraging compatible land uses between the farm and residential interfaces, the policy aims at reducing conflicts and recognizing agriculture as a priority land use.
“We’re not going to suggest someone can’t thin trees that make a fire hazard, but you’re going to leave a buffer that you’re not going to develop between there, that’s defined.
“Usually these properties are large pieces anyway, so it’s not a huge stretch to put an additional buffer in [and] leave this natural.”
The CRD has already been applying the recommendations in the report for the past three years, Richmond explains, including in his own Area G (Lac la Hache and 108 Mile).
Related awareness covenants will also be placed against any new properties covered by the policy. It will notify land buyers of the agricultural nature of the area to further prevent issues and complaints arising from nearby agricultural operations.
