October 19, 1999

AGRICULTURAL LAND COMMISSION CONSIDERS ADDING LAND TO THE ALR

BURNABY — The Provincial Agricultural Land Commission is traveling to Prince George on October 22^nd to conduct a public hearing on the potential inclusion of 20,000 hectares of land into the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) in the Punchaw, Chilako River area.

The inclusion proposal was initiated in part at the request of the Punchaw Cattleman’s Association after completion of the Prince George Land and Resource Management Plan.

The public hearing on the application will be held in the Boardroom of the Fraser-Fort George Regional District at 987 - 4^th Avenue, Prince George and will begin at 1:00pm.

The Agricultural Land Commission, established in 1973, is responsible for preserving and protecting BC’s limited farmland. It conducts land use planning in partnership with local communities, adjudicates applications for the use of land in the ALR and encourages farming to provide a basis for a sustainable economy and a secure source of food. The ALR comprises five percent of BC’s land mass, or 4.7 million hectares.

The ALC is currently composed of six members, all appointed by the Provincial government. They include municipal planning consultant Kurt Alberts from Fort Langley, Fraser Valley horticulturist Janna Bakker, rancher Gus Horn from 100 Mile House, Kelowna orchardist David Taylor, and Fraser-Fort George Regional District director Maureen Thompson. The Chair is retired UBC professor Alan Chambers, who is also chair of the Forest Land Commission.

Contact:
Martin Collins
(604) 660-7011