Agricultural Land Reserve

The Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) is a collection of agricultural land in the Canadian province of British Columbia in which agriculture is recognized as the priority. In total, the ALR covers approximately 47,000 square kilometres (18,000 sq mi) and includes private and public lands that may be farmed, forested or are vacant. Some ALR blocks cover thousands of hectares while others are small pockets of only a few hectares. The reserve is administered by the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC), consisting of a chair and six vice-chairs appointed by the Lieutenant Governor-in-Council of British Columbia (cabinet) and twelve regular commissioners appointed by the provincial Minister of Agriculture.

The ALR was established by the British Columbia New Democratic Party government of Dave Barrett in 1973, when it was considered to be the most progressive legislation of its kind in North America. It was intended to permanently protect valuable agricultural land that has among the most fertile soil in the country from being lost. Despite having been in existence for over 40 years, however, the ALR continues to be threatened by urbanization and the land development industry.

Since its inception, critics of ALR policy claimed that ALR restrictions prevented profit-taking by land owners — especially in British Columbia's rapidly growing Lower Mainland region — where in the early twenty-first century land prices are among the highest in North America. The claim is also made that owners of land in the ALR are not sufficiently compensated for their property, and that the constitutes unreasonable interference in private property rights.Critics also claim that the Agricultural Land reserve has inflated property values and a created a severe housing shortage throughout British Columbia. Critics claim that much of the poverty caused in British Columbia is a result of regressive land use policies. Many ALR property owners, especially those closer to urban areas where commercial real estate prices are high, maintain vacant lots in anticipation of zoning changes, as the ALR does not stipulate that the land must produce, agriculturally speaking. However, media reports still indicate that the ALR has widespread popularity among British Columbia voters.

...
Wikipedia