Agricultural Land Commission

The Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) is an independent provincial agency responsible for administering the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). The ALR is the limited physical land base on which agricultural products can be grown in BC and where land is zoned in favour of agriculture uses. The ALC and ALR are established under the Agricultural Land Commission Act.

The purpose as set out in the legislation is to:

• Preserve agricultural land.
• Encourage farming in collaboration with other communities of interest.
• Encourage local governments, First Nations, the government and its agents to enable and accommodate farm use of agricultural land and uses compatible with agriculture in their plans, bylaws and policies.

The Agricultural Land Commission is comprised of members who represent the varied geographic regions of the province.

Commission members are responsible for:

• Decisions on applications to vary the boundary of the ALR, change the use or subdivide
• Plan and bylaw or local governments are reviewed to ensure consistency with the Act
• On-site property visits as necessary
• Meeting with local governments and other stakeholders
• Policy direction

Information regarding the Agricultural Land Commission’s application process can be found on its website.

There is no appeal process for ALC decisions.