Strategy for the integration of small farms and wildlife habitats in the Greater Vancouver Regional District

With a limited land base of only 5% of the province, agriculture is viewed as a critical resource for British Columbia. Demands to use agricultural land for urban and industrial expansion saw thousands of hectares converted during the 1950's through to the mid seventies, until the introduction of the Provincial Agricultural Land Commission and its efforts to save farmland. Pressure to use farmland for other purposes however has not lessened. Marginal farmland is especially prone to conversion to non farm uses. It is this land that often has been left for wildlife habitat. Therefore with the loss of this land other uses and the expansion of existing farms onto marginal lands, wildlife habitat is disappearing. This purpose of this study was to examine the potential integration of small farm operations within the Agricultural Land Reserve in support of wildlife habitats. The study focused on the Greater Vancouver Regional District, as this region represents the largest urban region in the province, yet also accounts for 26% of the province's total farm gate receipts. Although regional studies are being undertaken linking habitat management with large-scale farm operations, small farm operations have not been included in this research. The Greater Vancouver Regional District, while containing numerous large-scale farm operations, also accounts for the highest percentage of small farms (2-4 ha) in the province. This study demonstrated the of twinning two land uses within a region. Similar efforts are being undertaken by the regional district to match outdoor recreational uses within a rural area. In order to effect the proposed land use strategy, the study utilized planning methodology. General planning processes were reviewed to develop an understanding of how rural land use planning could be effectively used to develop the strategy. The rural plan in this study drew upon a variation of an ecological planning model and adapted the processes for the land use strategy. As a result, the study included a general review of agriculture in the regional district, farmland habitats, wildlife and wildlife habitat management practices as they relate to agricultural land uses. Further, the study examined small farms within the regional district, and part-time farming in the region. Decision-making and implementation within the plan included a review of past and current policies, and regulations as they relate to potential stewardship programs. To demonstrate the application of the rural plan within a regional context, the study included a case study. The site in question focused on the southwest corner of the Township of Langley. Included in the case study was a review of the region's social and cultural background, biophysical aspects, plan criteria and objectives, a resource inventory, analysis, a plan map and summary. The highlight of the case study was the connection made between current agricultural land uses and their potential to support habitat management practices. The plan illustrated that the land use strategy has a good potential for maintaining and enhancing not only wildlife habitats in the region but also agricultural land use as it pertains to small farm operations. The case study area also focused on Campbell Valley Regional park as a protected source for wildlife in the immediate area. The study emphasized potential cooperative land uses between agriculture and wildlife. Through the utilization of a planning approach, the land use strategy was reviewed and applied within a regional context. Similar applications can be designed throughout the regional district. In many cases regional parks are contiguous to small scale agricultural land uses. Management programs focusing on private land stewardship, coupled with zoning and incentive programs, would allow for the employment of comparable rural plans throughout the regional district.

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