Planning for agricultural lands in British Columbia — Progress and problems

Summary With the passage of the Land Commission Act in April 1974, the province of British Columbia emerged as one of the leading innovators in agricultural land protection in North America. The British Columbia programme is unique, in that it encompasses a variety of incentives and disincentives to restrict the development of agricultural resources. While evidence suggests that the program has been quite successful, administrative weaknesses could endanger long-term viability. Regardless of the potential problems, British Columbia's experiences provide valuable lessons for other North American governments.Owen J. Furuseth is an Assistant Professor of Geography & Earth Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He received his A.B. degree (1971) in geography and urban planning from East Carolina University and an MA (1973) from the same institution in geography. His Ph.D. (1978) was earned in geography at Oregon State University.Prior to his current academic appointment he was an Associate Planner with the Jacksonville Area Planning Board in Jacksonville, Florida. His responsibilities with the agency included land use and environmental planning.His primary research interests are in the areas of agricultural land alienation, and policies to reduce these losses. During 1980–1981, Furuseth was a NATO Postdoctoral Fellow affiliated with the graduate program in Natural Resources Management at Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada. The research reported in this paper was carried out and completed while he was in Canada.