Land Use Workshop

[blackjack]

Just a reminder about the Action for Agriculture Land Use Workshop tomorrow at the Balzac Hall at 1:00 PM.
Registration is $20.00 payable at the door.

[cakadu]

Thanks for the reminder emrald. I was planning on attending, but unfortunately I have had a conference call come up that I cannot miss, so regrettably I will have to miss it.

If there are some highlights that might be useful, or you find that there is some sort of material there that might be beneficial, would you mind posting the highlights here or emailing me directly at cakadu@telusplanet.net? If there are good materials, I would like to e-mail whomever presented them and ask for a copy.

I really wanted to hear Barry Worobets speak on the Natural Capital idea as that is something that I am really getting interested in and fired up about.

At the Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture conference next week - March 2 and 3 in Nisku, I will have the opportunity to hear Harvie Buckley speak, which I'm looking forward to.

Thanks so much.
Linda

[cakadu]

Harvey has done excellent work in the area of land use, particularly with respect to preserving good agricultural land until it is necessary to convert it for urban growth etc.
I will be sure to ask him if he can take a copy of the proceedings of tomorrows workshop to you at the conference in Nisku. If you haven't met him, just walk up and introduce yourself...I always tell him he looks big and mean but he really is NOT !!!

[cakadu]

Thank you emrald. It is most appreciated. I will be sure to introduce myself to Harvey.

[cakadu]

I'll tell him to be sure and look you up Linda. I am sure there will be handouts at the workshop today, and he will be pleased to get them to you.
Action for Agriculture is certainly a devoted group. They meet once a month in Airdrie and always have interesting and up to date information on what is happening with land use and planning in their area.

[cowman]

Well emerald I hope you'll stand up and tell them the best way to protect farm land is to make it profitable to farm?
If that is impossible, then I hope you can tell them that a lot of old boys would like to make some money developing their land?
Not much sense passing some dumb land use bylaws that won't stand up in the future? It always amazes me how a municipality will rant and rave about protecting "valuable farm land" until the farmer sells it to some slick lawyer...and then it is progression and development for the good of the general population!
If land won't pay for itself in production, then lets get those darned houses up and built...and retire to Saskatchewan!

[cakadu]

Future land use issues are going to have to take into consideration the value of natural capital. It isn't just a matter of building and they will come - what are you forever changing when you build?

They are predicting that by 2050 the world's population will hit over 9 billion people. Most of the increase in population will come from developing coutries. Think of what the demands on food, energy etc are going to be.

We cannot make any more land, so whatever we do will have to have some long range planning done and not just short term gain in dollars.

Now, I don't have a problem with first parcel out - something our county seems to go back and forth on, but hopefully this 3rd study will set us on the right path - and will agree that marginal land could have other uses.

Once land use by-laws are put in place, they will have to be applied fairly, equally and consistently to all.

[cakadu]

Linda, cowman you missed an excellent workshop in Balzac today. There were representatives of 10 counties as well as Ted Morton and numerous planning officers in attendance.
Linda, Harvey is expecting you to look him up in Nisku, and apparently the proceedings of today's workshop were taped so he may have some information for you on how you can get a copy.

[cakadu]

I'm glad to hear that it went so well emrald and now even more sorry that I missed it.

I'll be sure to look Harvey up in Nisku. Thanks again for starting the ball rolling for me.

Cheers,
Linda

[cakadu]

Action for Agriculture always welcomes new members Linda, and I am sure they would love to have you attend a meeting some time. They meet in Airdrie once a month.

[cakadu]

Emrald - I just thought I would let you know that I met up with Harvey in Nisku and had a good chat with him. Unfortunately I couldn't give him your name, but that was okay because I got the job done anyway. I told him about another mutual friend we have in common.

I would say that I am going to be joining action for agriculture in the very near future - just as soon as I get my cheque order (the first time in 20 years I've ever run out of cheques.)

I know several others that belong to the organization and I think that they really have some great stuff going on.

I have to say that after talking with Harvey and Bob that I am very sorry that I missed the meeting last week as it sounds like that Keith Schneider delivered on heckuva presentation. Oh well, I'll time it way better for next year.

Canada West and the Natural Capital project and their 2nd century project may very well champion some of what we need to take action on.

[cakadu]

Harvey is well respected and certainly has done a lot for the agricultural industry just by bringing issues to the public's attention. Bob did an awesome job as the Executive Director of the Provincial Land Use Conference held three years ago. Too bad he wasn't elected for Rockyview Council last fall, he is a very intelligent man and certainly a real advocate for the agricultural industry. Glad you caught up to Harvey.

[Deb]

I wish I could have gone to the Landuse workshop. I went a couple of years ago and was interested to see what they are doing in the U.S. about loss of ranchland and other open spaces.

I have an example of why subdivision of ranches is a pain:

We purchased our 240 acres in the foothills (zoned agricultural)after a rancher sold his ranch and it was subdivided. Before the little 5-acre pieces were sold, we rented the land out for cow-calf grazing. Now the six 5-acre lots are sold and the new owners want us, or the cow-calf owner, to fence all the parcels. He can't afford it and neither can my husband and I. So our 240 acres is lost to agricultural use this year (and we will miss the income). We will try to fence one of the 5-acre pieces this year and maybe part of another, but it will be a couple of years till we can have cattle in there again. The only positive side is that the grass will have a nice chance to grow this summer (assuming there isn't a drought).

We used to have lots of elk around but a bison fence around some 75 acre parcels has stopped their migration and moved them west, further into the foothills towards the mountains. I try to manage our place so the cattle graze is lightly and there's some left for the wildlife, which we value esthetically. We do have a moose and 2 whitetails around that browse on the willows, so that's nice. And the bears like the rose hips when there aren't any saskatoons. I'm planning on starting a bit of a bed and breakfast or cabin rental thing if all goes well. But I will still need cows to graze the meadows a bit. It is all a balancing act and I am grateful that we don't have to make a huge living off it.

[Deb]

better stay on the good side of your acreage neighbours because they will have input when you apply for a development permit from your county for a Bed and Breakfast.

[Deb]

beleive me, I am on their good side already because I am putting together welcome wagon style baskets with info on the benefits of grazing, what vegetation one needs to attract certain wildlife, a bag of native grass seed, books on nature, and some rose hip jam or tea. Plus I will invite them on my nature walks through the aspen forest and the flowered meadows.

Also, my cabin is only 600 square feet and solar as well. I would most likely only have it available four times a year, and only to people I know can understand how the solar system works. We won't get rich on the B & B either but maybe with that, plus a few firewood sales, then some grazing once the fences are done, maybe I'll feel more secure.