Agricultural Land - Maple Ridge
In 2007, the Mayor and Councillors of Maple Ridge created the Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC). According to text on the website of the District of Maple Ridge (DMR), the purpose of the AAC was to review and develop an Agricultural Plan that would help conserve the area’s agricultural land base and promote local agricultural opportunities. Such a plan would recognize the cultural significance of agriculture and identify the industry as a viable contributing factor to the local economy.
Despite the sensibility of this methodical approach to developing recommendations for land use and the fact that the AAC’s work has not been completed or released, recent comments by some of our councillors suggest that these individuals have already made a decision about the viability of our agriculturally zoned land. In short, certain councillors feel sections of ALR-designated land should be stripped of its status and turned over to developers.
Instead of doing this, however, Maple Ridge has a great opportunity to show leadership, follow due political process and do its own due diligence, and stress the importance of our community’s agricultural land base. Currently, the District owns some agricultural land that is not being used for agricultural purposes, and it would be great to see an endorsement from Council that shows its dedication both to the Agricultural Advisory Committee and its work.
It’s time for our entire Council to “get serious” about the importance of the agricultural land base and to show our active agricultural community how significant its contributions are to the people of Maple Ridge, who will undoubtedly appreciate this approach when they recognize the value of this land fifty years from now, when it’s still being used for agricultural activities.
