Richard Froese
South Peace News
Big Lakes County has finalized a new strategic plan for its Agricultural Service Board.
At its regular meeting Feb. 12, council approved a new five-year ASB strategic plan from 2025-29.
The ASB reviewed the previous plan to shape the future direction for the ASB and the agricultural department for the next five years, says Ben Letemplier, director of public works.
Five main points spell out the plan to:
- Achieve and exceed legislated standards through landowner stewardship.
The intent is to provide an education-first approach with landowners of any identified issues as the preferred reaction.
Enforcement is recognized as occasionally necessary but with the ultimate goal being long-term landowner stewardship of their land toward achieving a high standard of weed, pest, and soil conservation management.
- Improve strategies to attract and retain industry and industry professionals.
This goal seeks to find ways to support the opportunity for the Big Lakes community and businesses to succeed.
This necessarily sees beyond just the immediate needs of agriculture, such as attracting an agricultural veterinarian, to a holistic set of community and business needs to support a thriving rural community that provides a supportive space for agriculture to operate in and contribute to.
- Support the ecological integrity of county-controlled or county-influenced land.
This goal recognizes the county must lead by example in its operational activities.
- Contribute to the economic viability of agriculture.
The Agricultural Service Board Act gives this as a clear mandate of the ASB. As such, the ASB aims to use its capacity to develop municipal-specific policies and programs to support the specific economic challenges of the county and to use its advisory and advocacy roles to safeguard agricultural economic opportunities.
- Achieve appropriate land use and preserve prime agricultural land.
The agricultural land base is changing and intensifying in the county. This can have economic benefits for agriculture in the county.
But, such changes, without appropriate safeguards put in place, can stress the land’s ability to produce ecological goods and services and can increase stress on county infrastructure.
The ASB will continue to advise and advocate for increased protection of prime agricultural land and will continue to improve and expand environmental programming and agricultural research supports that promote best management practices and operating.