Whereas the movement and subsequent deposition of soil and other material has the potential to negatively impact all lands - including ALR lands within the Province of British Columbia; And whereas local governments, the Agricultural Land Commission and other provincial agencies must address issues and related impacts associated to the movement, removal, and deposition of soil and other material which often requires enforcement measures to be taken; And whereas the movement, removal, and deposition of soil and other material has the potential to negatively impact the environment, farmland, private and public property and infrastructure; And whereas the removal of soil and other material from lands located within local governments in British Columbia is not mandated by local governments or the provincial government to be tracked using available GPS and logistics management software technology; And whereas a variety of technological solutions exists to track soil and other material transferred between sites: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the Government of British Columbia to mandate that all source and deposit sites that fall within the jurisdiction of the Agricultural Land Commission in the Province of British Columbia in which soil and other material is to be removed be monitored and tracked using appropriate technology to ensure source site soil and other material is taken only to approved sites within the province.
Ministry of Agriculture and Food The Ministry of Agriculture and Food the Ministry recognizes the importance of protecting agricultural land and ensuring that soil movement activities do not negatively impact the Agricultural Land Reserve ALR, the environment, or surrounding communities. The Agricultural Land Commission ALC currently regulates the placement, removal, and movement of soil and fill within the ALR through the Agricultural Land Commission Act and associated regulations. These requirements include permitting, compliance inspections, and enforcement actions where unauthorized activities occur. The Ministry acknowledges that unauthorized soil movement can create significant risks, including contamination, loss of agricultural capability, drainage impacts, and damage to public and private infrastructure. While the Ministry supports efforts to improve compliance and oversight, the ALCs existing regulatory framework is designed to be risk based and flexible, allowing the Commission to determine appropriate monitoring and enforcement tools based on site specific conditions. Mandating GPS based tracking or other technological monitoring systems for all soil movement activities would require substantial operational, legislative, and financial considerations, including impacts on landowners, local governments, haulers, and provincial agencies. A province wide tracking requirement would also extend beyond the Ministrys and the ALCs current mandate, as soil movement occurs across a wide range of land uses, jurisdictions, and regulatory authorities. The Ministry notes that some local governments have already implemented soil bylaws, permitting systems, and monitoring approaches tailored to local conditions. These tools allow communities to address soil movement concerns without imposing a uniform provincial requirement.