The BC government has deferred plans to amend the Land Act, which governs management of Crown lands in the province. “Our government has decided not to proceed with proposed amendments to the Land Act,” Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Nathan Cullen announced February 21. “That’s the best news story we have heard all year,” …
BC Cattlemens
Dam violations face fines
Contraventions of the province’s dam safety regulation now face administrative penalties of up to $500,000 following a provincial order in council issued January 12. The heftiest of the new fines applies to dam owners who fail to take appropriate action on becoming aware of hazardous conditions at their dams. Hazardous conditions are defined as “defects …
Rangeland forage allocation studied
A new report from the BC’s Forest Practices Board has identified opportunities to improve range management through forage measurement and allocation across the province. “Government has developed good guidelines for measuring forage, but they aren’t consistently used,” FBP board member Gerry Grant said in releasing the report on December 5. In addition, the province lacks …
Watershed strategy could hang ag out to dry
VICTORIA – The province’s proposed watershed security strategy is big on local governance but short on protections for agriculture, say critics of an intentions paper released March 6. “This is a very complex, high-level document,” says Elaine Stovin assistant general manager of the BC Cattlemen’s Association. “But it contains very little actual policy on how …
Wildfires spark emergency declaration
An active, early start to the wildfire season in BC led the province to declare a state of emergency July 20, the first sparked by wildfire since 2018. Two quiet seasons have given way to one with the potential to rival the record seasons of 2017 and 2018, as high temperatures and low moisture combined …
Canada at “negligible risk” for BSE
Canada now holds negligible risk status for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), delegates to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) general session decided May 27. The shift to the lowest level of risk for transmission of BSE makes Canada eligible for expanded access to foreign markets for more beef products, previously limited by BSE-era restrictions. …