The BC Cherry Association held its annual general meeting in Kelowna on February 23. While the industry continues to expand its access to international markets, with last year witnessing the first official exports to Korea, domestic growing conditions are a concern. “We saw damage from the freeze of late December 2022 and then 30°C spring …
BCCA
Land Act changes deferred
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,” …
Land Act firestorm
The BC government is proposing changes to the Land Act that will affect how Crown land tenures are administered, but they have provided very little information on what those amendments will look like and that has cattlemen extremely concerned. In early January, the BC Ministry of Water Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS) began contacting stakeholders …
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 …
Communication critical to solve water issues
WESTWOLD — The Salmon River watershed is a complex ecosystem. A variety of water use interests, long-term environmental impacts and minimal mitigation efforts make the river problematic. A key issue is the river’s importance as a salmon-bearing stream, which makes it especially vulnerable to regulations designed to protect aquatic life. But the watershed is also …