search.noResults

search.searching

dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
DECEMBER 2019 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC lly


Recommendations from report nearly


fully implemented Building code, new carbon tax possible for fire prevention


by PETER MITHAM


VICTORIA – New legislation, building regulations and even a carbon tax are under discussion as work to address the 108 recommendations of the Abbott-Chapman report on the 2017 flood and wildfire season continues. The report was released


October 31, 2018, and the province committed to public updates every six months on progress towards implementation of its recommendations. “We were all aware of the risk of catastrophic wildfires leading up to 2017 but at that time, not enough work was done to prepare people and communities,” said Doug Donaldson, BC Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development in releasing the latest update on October 31. The regular updates aim to


show that something is being done. The latest bulletin indicates that 99 of the report’s 108 recommendations are in play. A total of 49


recommendations have been completed, while 50 are in progress. “Of the remaining nine


recommendations, four require further analysis and discussion, while alternative approaches are being used to address the other five recommendations,” the


province states. Among the measures left to


address is a new Emergency Program Act, which will be presented to the legislature for consideration in 2020. Reducing the risk of


interface fires will mean regulations and incentives mandating the use of fire- resistant building materials. To finance efforts to make


ecosystems and communities more resilient, a new carbon tax is also being proposed. However, further discussion and analysis is planned before proposals for a new tax are introduced. Several of the report’s


recommendations related to agriculture have been completed.


These include a review of decision-making related to the establishment of evacuation alerts and orders to ensure ranching or farming operations located within an evacuation are considered. Emergency Management BC distributed an updated Evacuation Operational Guide in spring 2019 that addressed this point.


Also listed as complete, but with ongoing


implementation, is a recommendation to use drones, real-time mapping and other technologies to assess situations and assist The latest report notes that during the heavy flooding in the Chilcotin this past July, the BC Ministry of Agriculture


SHORT COURSE HORTICULTURE GROWERS’ 2020 THURSDAY Raspberries t Agro-Forestry t


Strawberries Vegetables Greenhouse Floriculture Opening Reception


t t t FRIDAY All Berries Direct Farm Markets Cannabis t Blueberries t t t


Farm Business Management Keynote Address Potatoes


t t


Agricultural Water Management SATURDAY


Organic Hops Mushrooms


REGISTER ONLINE AT WWW.AGRICULTURESHOW.NET Registration includes Trade Show entry and all Growers’ Short Course Sessions


Ph: 604-857-0318 | growers@agricultureshow.net Innovate. Grow. Prosper.


Jan 30 - Feb 1 Tradex, Abbotsford


In partnership with the Pacific Agriculture Show


t Hazelnuts


Silagrow offers superior quality agricultural products specializing in forage storage.


silagrow.com 1.800.663.6022


Visit us online


To Valued Customers, Friends & Family


Greenhouse Ground Cover Greenhouse Films Mulch Film Landscaping Fabrics Shade Nets Protection Nets Bale Wraps Bunker Covers   Forage & Grain Seed


t


13


LESSONS LEARNED. The province has released an update on wildfire recommendations. BC WILDFIRE SERVICE PHOTO


supported a drone mission to assess damage to support the ongoing recovery process. “The focus of this drone mission was to assess impacts to agriculture land/productivity and get more accurate estimates of weather-related crop damage,” the progress report said. “The Ministry of Agriculture supported this process and continues to be engaged in recovery activities.” A recommendation to


increase the number of people with basic firefighting skills by providing open access to S-100 training for ranchers and other tenure holders was addressed through industry partnerships to encourage joint response activities. This was deemed a wise alternative to training, which the BC Wildfire Service discovered was widely available and generally accessible to interested parties. With respect to flooding, substantial progress has been


Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association


made on a survey of the 500 kilometres of dikes under provincial management. A failure of dike networks in the Lower Mainland alone could cause damage in the billions of dollars. The province says it’s pursuing a survey of all 1,100 kilometres of dikes in the province as well as an assessment of the 100 known orphan dikes. Both are expected to complete in 2020. A “consequence classification” is being drafted for all dikes, too, similar to what exists for dams. “The province will continue to assess BC’s dikes and will actively pursue infrastructure funding to address diking


needs,” the progress report notes.


While the number of


references to agriculture in the original can be counted on one hand, and are pared back even further in the progress reports, the BC Cattlemen’s Association was influential in developing the report. “We were the first


stakeholder group to meet with Abbott and Chapman on this,” Boon told Country Life in BC when the report was published. “I can go through this report and pull out portions that we put in that discussion paper that were taken, basically, word-for-word out of [our] discussion paper.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48