WHEREAS the Agricultural Land Commission, operating as an independent administrative tribunal, is mandated to protect and preserve agricultural land to encourage and enable farm businesses throughout British Columbia which fosters local economic stability, food security and provides environmental and other public benefits; AND WHEREAS the Agricultural Land Commission provides critical support to local governments by providing technical expertise, independent of political influences, which legitimizes decisions involving the preservation, use and development of agricultural land and by encouraging local governments and their agents to enable and accommodate farm use of agricultural land and uses compatible with agriculture in their plans, bylaws and policies as mandated in the Agricultural Land Commission Act: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government increase resources to the Agricultural Land Commission, in accordance with recommendation 2 in Report 5: September 2010 Audit of the Agricultural Land Commission to more effectively preserve agricultural land and encourage farming; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the provincial government maintain the Agricultural Land Commission as an independent administrative tribunal.
