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Performance Reporting
Core Business Area 4: Environmental Sustainability and Resource Development
Goal 4: Sustainable development of the agri-food and seafood sectors.
Outcome: Achieve economic growth in balance with environmental and social values.
In order to achieve the economic potential of agriculture, food and fisheries, growth opportunities must be environmentally and socially sound.
| Measures |
Baseline |
2003/04 Target |
2003/04 Actual |
| Relative financial growth of operations with farm environmental plans versus historic data |
Not available
Environmental farm plan program being developed |
Baseline information will be developed |
Target achieved:
Baseline environmental indicators and practices developed (Agri-environmental Indicators Baseline Data Report — Jan./04) using Statistics Canada Farm Environmental Management Survey 2001 data augmented with provincial survey data. |
Objective 1: Agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries industries that use management practices that pose acceptable risks to the environment.
Strategies:
- Develop and promote farm use of farm environmental plans (including best practices standards, operating procedures and audit processes), in conjunction with producers, regions and agencies.
- Negotiate a fair share of funding for B.C. through the APF for environmental sustainability programs.
- Continue to update B.C. standards, policies and regulations maximizing environmental performance of the aquaculture industry.
- Work with other provincial ministries and agencies on policies and strategies dealing with drinking water, wildlife management, weed control on Crown land and other similar issues to maximize returns from agricultural crops and livestock.
Performance Measures and Results
The development and implementation of environmental farm plans is a key performance measure. Progress was slowed somewhat in 2003/04 with delays in establishing the program.
| Measures |
Baseline |
2003/04 Target |
2003/04 Actual |
| Degree to which farms use best management practices i.e., make changes according to on-farm environmental plans or comply with standards.1 |
Less than 10% of B.C. agriculture farms have implemented on-farm environmental plans 15 per cent in aquaculture sector |
10% |
Target not met:
B.C., through an innovative partnership with the B.C. Agriculture Council, is leading all provinces in implementing the environmental farm planning program ($20.28 million/5 years). It has:
- Negotiated provincial funding through the APF.
- Developed all program modules.
- Trained and tested 63 planners.
- Completed a regional scan of environmental issues and risks throughout B.C.
- Prepared 15 pilot environmental farm plans.
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Objective 2: Create and maintain a positive regulatory climate within local government jurisdictions to encourage investment in agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries in their communities, and to encourage the use of responsible production practices.
Strategies:
- Review local government bylaws to ensure they support farmers using normal farm practices in order to be economically viable.
- Develop standards to ensure local government bylaws are fair and supportive to agriculture.
- Work with local governments to develop agriculture area plans that will provide direction and guidance so they can enhance their local agriculture industries.
- Support formation and operation of local agriculture advisory committees so that agriculture issues receive priority attention from councils and boards.
Performance Measures and Results
The ministry has developed an evaluation index to support performance measurement against this objective. The index considers many different aspects of local government policies and programs, bylaws and zoning, and develops an overall rating of the extent to which local government supports agriculture and fisheries in B.C.
| Measure |
Baseline |
2003/04 Target |
2003/04 Actual |
| Evaluation index of local government policies and programs supporting agriculture and fisheries |
Evaluation criteria in development |
Baseline index established and tested |
Target achieved:
Evaluation index of local government policies and programs developed and tested with two local governments. |
Activities Related to this Objective:
| Review of local government bylaws |
Reviewed local governments' plans and bylaws. |
| Agriculture area plans |
Completed three agriculture area plans.
Completed land use inventories in Abbotsford, Burnaby and the Salmon River watershed (District of Salmon Arm, Thompson-Nicola Regional District, Columbia Shuswap Regional District). |
| Supportive bylaws |
Developed standards for audible bird scare devices and areas that require special management practices. Created or updated 64 normal farm practice descriptions and made them web-accessible. |
| Local advisory committees |
20 Agriculture Advisory Committees have been established. |
| Right to farm legislative amendments — Bill 48 |
Amended right to farm legislation to include Crown land designated as farming areas, and to clarify that bylaws which have the purpose and effect of regulating the conduct of farm operations in farming areas are farm bylaws. A protocol is being developed with the Union of B.C. Municipalities to implement the amendments. |
Objective 3: Increase amount and capability of Crown agricultural land reserve lands for agricultural production.
Strategies:
- Participate with the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management in expanding the agriculture lease-to-purchase program to provide greater access to Crown land for agriculture, and to increase the grazing capacity of Crown range leases.
Performance Measures and Results
A key measure of access to Crown lands is the Crown land production capacity available to the agriculture sector for grazing. Capacity is expressed in terms of Animal Unit Months, which is the amount of forage consumed by a mature cow (with or without a calf up to six months of age) during one month.
| Measure |
Baseline |
2003/04 Target |
2003/04 Actual |
| Production capacity of Crown ALR land for grazing |
Approximately 897,000 Animal Unit Months of grazing capacity — 2001 data |
Maintain Animal Unit Months of grazing capacity |
Target
not achieved:
Animal Unit Months of grazing tenured by the Ministry of Forests declined by 1 per cent. |
Activities Related to this Objective:
| Enhance access to Crown land for agriculture |
Eligibility criteria improved for the Extensive Agriculture Program (lease-to-purchase program).
Agricultural capability and suitability assessments identified agriculture development areas in the Bulkley Valley, Mackenzie, Fort St. James, Robson Valley and Prince George areas.
Agriculture Crown resource access strategy completed in co-operation with the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management. |
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