Letter re Agricultural Waste Control Regulation
· Islands Trust Area · News & Advocacy · 2018
Original Trust document
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3,904 characters of machine-extracted text. Extraction is automatic and can be wrong; the original governs.
Topics: Fresh water & aquifers · First Nations & reconciliation · Governance & budget · Climate & environment — our classification, not the Trust's.
Extracted text (beginning)
200 - 1627 Fort St., Victoria, BC V8R 1H8 Telephone (250) 405-5151 Fax (250) 405-5155 Toll Free via Enquiry BC in Vancouver 604.660.2421. Elsewhere in BC 1.800.663.7867 Email information@islandstrust.bc.ca Web www.islandstrust.bc.ca Bowen Denman Hornby Gabriola Galiano Gambier Lasqueti Mayne North Pender Salt Spring Saturna South Pender Thetis January 15 , 2018 via e-mail: env.ag.reg.reviews@gov.bc.ca File Number: 0420-20 The Honourable George Heyman Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy Room 112 Parliament Buildings Victoria, BC V8V 1X4 Dear Minister Heyman: Re: Revisions to the Agricultural Waste Control Regulation (AWCR) I am writing to you in regards to the proposed revisions to the Agricultural Waste Control Regulation (AWCR) under the Environmental Management Act (EMA). In general, we are supportive of the proposed revisions and appreciate your Ministry’s efforts to regulate agricultural waste to ensure clean and safe drinking water and healthy waterbodies and fish. We would appreciate further consideration of stream setbacks. We recognise that the provincial Riparian Areas Regulation (RAR) presently does not apply to agricultural areas, but, from a land use planning perspective, it would be preferable if the RAR and AWCR were better aligned regarding stream setbacks, especially for fish bearing or potentially fish bearing streams. Ideally, setbacks under the AWCR will be similar or better than the RAR. We also encourage the Province to increase its education programs to help farmers better appreciate the negative environmental and human health impacts associated with poor manure management and soil erosion and runoff. We also appreciate an increase in provincial resources for monitoring of groundwater and freshwater quality in the Islands Trust Area to support assessment of impacts from agricultural practices. Every passing month presents a lost opportunity to collect data that would support future investigations. Thank you for considering this input. The Islands Trust Council is a federation of local government bodies representing 25,000 people living within the Islands Trust Area and about 10,000 non-resident property owners. The Islands Trust is responsible for preserving and protecting the unique environment and amenities of the Islands Trust Area through planning and regulating land use, development management, education, cooperation with other agencies, and land conservation. The area covers the islands and waters between the British Columbia mainland and southern Vancouver Island. It includes 13 major and more than 450 smaller islands covering 5200 square kilometres. Yours sincerely, Peter Luckham Chair, Islands Trust Council pluckham@islandstrust.bc.ca .../2 The Honourable George Heyman January 15, 2018 Page 2 cc: Cowichan Tribes Esquimalt First Nation Halalt First Nation Homalco First Nation Hul’qumi’num
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