Showing 991 results

Archival description
991 results with digital objects Show results with digital objects
2020.4.2.1.57 · File · Mar. 1991
Part of G. Gary Runka fonds

File consists of an untitled published piece in Country Life Column by Gary Runka.

Commentary by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This article focuses a report of the B.C. Round Table on the Environment and the Economy - "A Better Way - Creating a Sustainable Development Strategy for B.C." published in 1990. The thrust of the article concerns the disregard for agriculture in the report. The report identifies six key principles which amount to reasonable objectives / goals but in contrast agriculture fares badly in the report. Three examples are provided of the report's failings with respect to agriculture. Four key questions are asked including, "How can we best protect the limited high capability agricultural land base from alternate use competition?"

2020.4.2.1.58 · File · [1991?]
Part of G. Gary Runka fonds

File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka entitled "Agricultural Land and Its Management".

Commentary by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This paper has no indication of the audience or date but given that there are several references to 1990 reports, it probably dates to 1991.

Although the scope of this paper is national in several aspects, its primary focus is on the B.C. farmland preservation efforts.

Comment is made on the question of farmland being regarded as a 'commodity' vs 'scarce resource'. GGR draws upon a theme found in other speeches and papers when he notes that 'To some degree, the call for a new "foodland ethic" is based upon the belief that public policy should more adequately take into account the social value of foodlands, quite apart from the dollar value...."

The paper is broken into several sections:
(A) The Setting;
(B) Agricultural Land Loss, (which includes some excellent statistics - p. 2-3)
(C) Some Agricultural Management Issues,
(D) Action Response (this section briefly reviews farmland preservation efforts in each province with a particular emphasis on B.C. p. 5-6),
(E) The Future.

GGR lists the following action steps that BC should pursue:

  • Repeal ALC Act appeals to Cabinet;
  • Rescind the outright golf course use within the ALR; and
  • Introduce Soil Conservation Legislation"
Extension
2007.1.13.1 · File · 1991
Part of Aleza Lake Research Forest fonds

File contains orginal and photocopied correspondence relating to silviculture field courses and graphs pertaining to volume and diameter changes.

2023.2.2.1.1.1 · Item · 28 Feb. 1990
Part of Dr. Paul Sanborn fonds

During a year away from studies in 1987-88, Dr. Paul Sanborn developed a successful grant proposal to the Science Council of BC (SCBC) to pursue a postdoctoral project with Dr. Tim Ballard in relation to sulphur-deficient soils in BC and prescribed fire. This project built on an existing broadcast burning study conducted by Macmillan Bloedel Ltd. near Port Alberni on Vancouver Island, led by Bill Beese (later at Vancouver Island University). Dr. Sanborn's work addressed sulphur forms and amounts in the soils at these sites, and the chemical processes influencing sulphur availability in relation to prescribed fire.

Only one part of this work was eventually published:
Sanborn, P.T. and T.M. Ballard. 1991. Combustion losses of sulphur from conifer foliage: Implications of chemical form and soil nitrogen status. Biogeochemistry 12: 129–134. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00001810

The remainder of the work was documented in this Project Completion Report to SCBC, dated February 28, 1990, and entitled "Effects of Prescribed Fire on Sulphur in Forest Soils".

2020.4.2.1.56 · File · Nov. 1990
Part of G. Gary Runka fonds

File consists of an untitled published piece in Country Life Column by Gary Runka.

Commentary by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This article is focused on renewed interest in the development of a provincial land use strategy. The article outlines the lack of action for over 20 years in the development of such a strategy.

Several key land and water uses that warrant consideration are listed - starting with agriculture - along with a list of overriding issues.

The position of GGR is clear in the last paragraph - 'The time for a provincial land use strategy was yesterday"..

Although farmland preservation is not specifically identified it would, one would have to think, clearly be one element of a land use strategy."

2020.4.2.1.55 · File · Feb. 1988
Part of G. Gary Runka fonds

File consists of an article written by Gary Runka entitled "Balanced Agriculture - Its Social Value" for the Symposium o n Decoupling, Ottawa - February 10-12,1988.

Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This speech was prepared for publication in the July 1988 edition of t he "Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics".

The Symposium explores the social and economic values of agriculture and this paper primarily pursues the social value side of the equation and asserts that a healthy agricultural sector has a social as well as economic value to Canada.

The paper is broken into four sections:
(I) The Farm;
(II) Rural Communities and Regions;
(III) Canada and Beyond; and
(IV) Summary.

Under these broad topics the paper considers several themes, many of which have a strong or direct relationship to farmland preservation. B.C. and Quebec programs are directly mentioned. A few of these themes are captured here:

  • "balanced agriculture" ... let it imply a balance between economic considerations (market forces) and social values
  • It is not easy to design legislative programs that will accommodate both the legitimate financial concerns of those who husband the land and the desire of society to protect a scarce resource
  • Society must share in t he responsibility to retain foodlands. "...both Quebec and British Columbia accepted this responsibility in their agricultural land preservation legislation by bring in associated commodity income insurance programs along with the provincial designation of land within agricultural land reserve zoning."
  • A need for balance between private rights of land ownership with stewardship and the responsibility of government to intervene when private interests do not coincide with public interests.
  • The urban majority will have a growing influence on the way farmers and agriculture will be treated in coming decades
  • Any country is wise to ensure that it retains the option to produce at least a portion of its own food
  • Do we want agriculture driven by a "trade environment" or do we as a country have other social goals that we wish to pursue, of which international trade is part?
  • It is in Canadian society's general interest to have economic and social cohesion when considering agricultural policy reform."