Performance Reporting — Continued

Goal 3: Enhance the sustainable use of the agricultural land base

Objectives:

3.1 Work with local governments, First Nations and other agencies to ensure that their plans, policies and activities permit and enhance the use of the ALR for agriculture.

3.2 Provide for farm and rural diversification, value-added activities and complementary non-farm uses within the ALR to support working farms and to stabilize local economies.

Strategies
• Consult with local governments, First Nations and other agencies and/or develop guidelines to ensure that their plans, policies and activities permit and encourage farm uses within the ALR and that non-farm development does not negatively impact on existing agricultural operations or agricultural potential. • Pursue collaborative governance arrangements that balance agricultural land preservation with the needs and aboriginal rights of First Nations. • Identify non-farm uses and value-added activities that can be permitted in the ALR without negative impacts on agricultural businesses or the long-term suitability of lands for agriculture.
Performance Measure	2002/03 Target	2002/03 Actual	Explanation of Variance
Percentage of plans, policies and activities that encourage farm uses and protect existing agricultural businesses (Objective 3.1)	No target established	Not tracked	Performance measure revised for 2003/04 Plan audits not conducted due to other priorities
Agreements entered into with First Nations (Objective 3.1)	Number of agreements	No agreements made	Commission involved indirectly in pre-treaty discussions
Increase # of complementary non-farm uses and value added activities permitted (Objective 3.2)	No target established	Number of non-farm uses and value-added activities permitted by regulation increased by 81% (from 11 to 57)
Impact of non-farm uses and value-added activities (Objectives 2.2, 3.2)	No target established	Not tracked	Revised performance indicator underway for 2003/04

Accomplishments During the Year

• Commission held 5 regional workshops for 247 local government and provincial staff to explain changes to the legislation, regulations and procedures.
• Commission panels met with 58 local governments across the province (see Appendix 2).
• Commission staff participated in 3 pre-treaty discussions on the selection of ALR lands for treaty settlements.
• Commission prepared a draft policy on First Nations treaty settlements and the ALR, for treaty discussions.
• Commission staff commenced discussions with treaty negotiators and several First Nations as a preliminary step to negotiations. Neither the Commission nor its staff participated directly in treaty negotiations.
• Commission identified value-added farm activities and complementary non-farm uses that could be permitted in the ALR without negative impacts on agriculture; these were permitted by amending the ALR regulation.
• Commission worked with Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries to jointly develop and publish "A Guide to Developing Trails in Farm and Ranch Areas"