April 3, 2000

New Land Reserve Commission Unveiled

BURNABY — BC's new Land Reserve Commission was formally launched this afternoon at a ceremony in Burnaby.

"For over 25 years the Agricultural Land Commission has been responsible for preserving and protecting BC's limited farmland," said LRC Chair Alan Chambers. "And for the past five years the Forest Land Commission has been minimizing the impact of urban development and rural settlement on BC's commercial forest land base. To ensure this legacy of preservation is continued and strengthened, the two Commissions have been merged into a single, independent body called the Land Reserve Commission."

"The ten Commissioners appointed by the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Corky Evans are from all over BC and bring a broad range of experience to the table," added Chambers. "They come from agriculture, forestry, planning, local government, academia and several other key sectors."

"This merger is intended to streamline administration while maintaining the integrity of the Agricultural Land Reserve and the Forest Land Reserve, which continue as separate reserves," explained Commission CEO Kirk Miller. "Having one commission ensures a consistency of vision while still accommodating local needs. Keeping the reserves separate is a recognition of the unique characteristics and needs of agricultural and forest land."

"Even more importantly, we have identified new ways of doing business," added Miller. "One of the most innovative changes will be the new regional panel system whereby a small group of Commissioners will represent the LRC in different regions of the province."

The LRC also unveiled its new corporate identity program. "It is important for the public, landowners, municipal governments, forest companies, farmers and other stakeholders to recognize and identify with the new commission," explained Miller. The new logo reflects the merger of the ALC and FLC, the new body's agricultural and forest components and the importance of the land base to each. The environmental or preservationist role of the LRC is also reflected in the colour and other elements. "We also chose to reinforce the fact that farmland and forest lands are preserved to provide jobs, not just for the sake of preservation. This is reflected in the themeline we've chosen: Working Farms, Working Forests".

"The Land Reserve Commission is a crucial part of the government's overall commitment to comprehensive land use planning, growth management and environmental stewardship, including forest practices on private forest land", added Chambers. "We are very excited about what this means for the future of forestry and agriculture, and for all the people of BC."

For more information please contact Kirk Miller, Chief Executive Officer of the LRC, at (604) 660-7000.

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Background:

For over 25 years the Agricultural Land Commission has been responsible for preserving and protecting BC's limited farmland. It has provided advice on land use planning to local communities, adjudicated applications for the use of land in the ALR and encouraged farming to provide a basis for a sustainable economy and a secure source of food. The ALR now comprises about five per cent of BC's land mass, or 4.7 million hectares.

The Forest Land Commission was established in 1994 to minimize the impact of urban development and rural settlement on BC's commercial forest land base. It has adjudicated applications for the use of private managed forest lands and reviewed proposals to add or remove private land from the FLR. The FLC has also advised the Minister of Forests on proposals to remove Crown land from the FLR, and administered the private forest practices regulation.