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Climate Action Initiative map of the Fraser Valley Regional District, showing Agricultural Land Reserve.


agriculture sector while enhancing sustainability, growth and competitiveness. “British Columbians are currently facing extreme conditions, with forest fires and drought conditions in many communities,” says Minister of Agriculture, Norm Letnick.


“The results of the work and cooperation of all partners involved in the Climate Action Initiative is helping to build a resilient agriculture sector, and B.C. food security for the future.” “The potential impacts of climate change on our sector are too great to take a wait-and-see approach,” says Jason Smith, chair of the BC Blueberry Council.


“We need to be proactively addressing these issues if our sector is going to be able to continue to supply good, safe, quality product to local and international markets.” Climate models show that the Fraser Valley will face more extended hot and dry periods in the summer that will reduce the supply of water, and increase demands on irrigation. Increased precipitation and extreme rainfall, particularly in spring and fall, will increase the risks of site specific flooding and challenges managing runoff. Changes to temperature, precipitation patterns and other factors are also expected to increase the risk of large floods


on the Fraser River.


“With so much agriculture on the floodplain, managing flood risk and changes to the freshet season is a high priority,” says Smith. “Even when it doesn’t flood, high water levels can affect our ability to get into the fields to manage and harvest crops, or cause damage to infrastructure like dikes.


“On the other end, low snow pack and extended dry spells can reduce water levels when we need it to irrigate, and extreme heat can damage crops. All of these things come into play, and need to be addressed.”


Other stressors related to climate change in the valley include the distribution and number of pests such as insects, weeds and diseases; impacts on pollinator population


health; and greater frequency and intensity of extreme heat events. “Agriculture is such an important part of the Fraser Valley's economy. The time for action is now on the important issues of water supply and flood risk,” says Sharon Gaetz, chair of the Fraser Valley Regional District. “The agriculture sector has identified key areas that require immediate attention, and we hope that these strategies will see senior levels of government commit to protecting our communities and economy for the long term." As the action plan is implemented, results of projects will be shared regionally with the intent to bring new information resources, tools and practices into use across the province.


The Fraser Valley Regional Adaptation Strategies report is available online through the B.C. Agriculture and Food Climate Action Initiative website:


http://www.bcagclimateaction.ca/ adapt/regional-strategies/ The CAI was established by the BC Agriculture Council in 2008, and is led by an advisory committee of agricultural producers, food processors and representatives from various government agencies. The initiative is administered by the B.C. Agricultural Research and Development Corporation (ARDCorp) and has been supported by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC with funding provided by Agriculture and Agri- Food Canada and the BC Ministry of Agriculture through Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial- territorial initiative.


16 British Columbia Berry Grower • Fall 2015


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