Rural issues

[cris]

Rural Albertans will have the opportunity to vote in municial elections in October. This is your opportunity to ensure that the individuals representing you at the local level and lobbying for you to other levls of government are informed on the issues facing the agricultural industry in your area.

[cakadu]

This should be of importance to all of us living out in rural areas, particularly those that are close to the highway #2 corridor - Edmonton/Calgary/Lethbridge. More and more people are buying that "country life" and will come out to the country on the weekend, or are choosing to buy acreages and commute to work.

Some of the people who are buying up land for weekend retreats need to understand the issues that are going on out in the rural community. The most important of these is environmental sustainability - in other words, what to do and what not to do when it comes to protecting the air, soil and in particular water.

The candidates we vote for - whether it be at the municipal or the provincial level should be well versed on a number of issues and not just a "one-trick" pony.

More than ever, it does seem that who represents you at the municipal level is almost more important to you than the federal representative.

[cakadu]

Land Use By-Laws indicate how agricultural land may be fragmented. In my area, there has been a shift to allow a significant increase in subdivisions out of a quarter of land. Combine that with the fact that the main agricultural industry in this area is cattle, it can make for some interesting events!
I am sure that many will disagree but in my opinion, country residential parcels should locate near hamlets where municipal services such as sewer and water are available.

[cowman]

Recently, in the area I live in, the municipality has been going to great lengths to try to deal with this developement/agriculture thing. I have seen the final recommendations.
Personally I don't like them...dollars out of my pocket! I believe my municipality is living under a false impression that there is a future for agriculture here? Now I'm not talking about the whole county...just the land very close to the #2 corrider.
Why would anyone want land that has a significant value to be "designated" agriculture when in fact it would generate a lot more money in multi-lot country residences, industrial or recreational land? The sad but true fact is it is probably some of the best farm land in the province but can't pay for itself! Eventually it will be used for purposes other than ag...you can't stop progress? Unfortunately by that time it won't be the farmer who will benifit! Years of continuing to lose money will force the sale to wealthy speculators, who will use their influence and the courts to get the land use bylaw scrapped!
Right now the city of Red Deer is expanding vigorously into the very best land in the area. It is pretty hard to buy into this "save the farm land" garbage when you see them stripping off that four feet of rich black soil!
But then that is life! Rather than pay to "save Farmland" just pass a law to keep the peasants poor and down on the farm! Heres a novel idea...if farm land is so valuable to the nation...how about paying the guy who owns it to keep it as farm land?

[gwynplaine]

You can't stop progress, granted, but you can guide it in such a manner as to be beneficial.

The answer isn't, I'm afraid, paycheques to landowners. I believe this has been proven many times over. Any constant, acreage based payment gets immediatly capitalized into land value. Meaning, of course, land gets more expensive. The only tested way to preserve farmland and limit skyrocketing land prices due to real estate speculation is to pass legislation restricting subdivisions. See, for example, Portland, Oregon. There is now no subdivision being permitteted less than 80 acres. The result, after (I believe) 10-15 years is stablized land values, a re-juvenation of the failing downtown core, and greater investement in efficient, effective public transportation. All of which (while not resulting in government cheques) are steps towards sustainability and profitability.

[gwynplaine]

Landowners always have the option of applying to have their land re-zoned for purposes other than agriculture.
Land Use By-Laws and Municipal Development Plans include many permitted uses on agricultural lands as well as discretionary uses. These uses vary with municipalities. It is very difficult to please everyone when developing any Municipal Planning Documents but just as with any legislation the focus has to be on what is good for the municipality as a whole.

[cowman]

Unfortunately, I have seen this idea that somehow everything is done for the good of the environment, the farm land etc.!
The farmer gets discouraged and believes nothing can happen ...so finally he quits and sells to some lawyer. Immediately the rules change! Whether through a bribe or taking it to litigation? The end result is the same! Some slick "creature" gets rich and the farmer gets less than he deserved?
Here is another novel idea? How about have a thing called "property rights" and "free enterprize" where you can sell to whoever you want? Lets face it the last thing this country needs is more food?