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| Trina McDonald |
Note: This article was originally posted on: http://www.vifood.info/, September 22, 2010.
Resilient Communities in Changing Times
On a daily basis we see and hear about changing weather patterns, peak oil, greater food insecurity, and loss of ecological diversity. More and more people are making important changes at the personal level, such as recycling or planting a garden, but these actions can be slow to address some of the larger, more pressing problems we face, such as the loss of farm land and the lack of affordable housing. As members of our communities we may wish to be informed about and to participate in changes to the policies and practices that effect how we live and build on the land. This paper provides information about some strategies that are helping to address the social, ecological and economic concerns of people living in rural communities on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands and provides some resources that can help individuals get involved in making these changes.
Food Security, Affordable Land and Housing
A number of challenges are currently affecting regional food security, ecological diversity, and the health of rural communities on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Among the most notable effects are: the lack of affordable land and associated housing for those who have traditionally farmed the land, as well as for people of diverse ages and socio-economic status (Stevenson, 2009); and the decline of rural economies due to the loss of jobs in resource extraction.
With the growth in regional populations and the resultant rise in market value of land, agricultural and forested areas are being developed into subdivisions and vacation properties that are unaffordable to many rural residents. While the agricultural land reserve (ALR) has protected some agricultural land in BC, much of the prime rural and agricultural land in Southern BC has been excluded or removed from the ALR and is being lost to development (Curran, 2005). With these kinds of developments comes a loss of both ecological diversity and the population diversity required to keep essential services (ie: schools, volunteer fire departments, farms) up and running. The loss of people to work the land is further exacerbated by the fact that many farmers and land owners are reaching the age of retirement (the average farmer is nearing the age of 60 ( TLC, 2009) ), and there are very few young farmers in a position to take their place. New policies are needed to discourage the loss of rural lands by subdivision and development and to encourage appropriate housing for farm workers and community members of many different socio-economic backgrounds.
A Sign of the Times
The following policies and practices are being taken up or considered in various locations on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Alone or in combination, these policies may help to slow the suburban sprawl in order to protect farm land and forest, create new sources of income for rural residents and additionally to mitigate and address concerns such as climate change, housing, transportation, education and food security:
Zoning Bylaws
Zoning bylaws are developed and enforced by municipal governments and set out the restrictions and allowances for use of a particular piece of land, including use restrictions to limit development in rural areas. Unfortunately, rural zoning designations do not allow for enough appropriate housing to be built on a piece of land to house multiple farmers and their families, making the land affordable to them. This often has the effect of inadvertently encouraging property owners to subdivide and develop agricultural land. The most affective way to protect land may be to focus most new development within urban centres (Curran, 2003). However, in order to increase food security, zoning is needed that will provide affordable housing on land that can be farmed.
One of the many use’s of land
Several new zoning bylaws have been created to provide alternatives to conventional subdivisions. These special zones tend to cluster housing more closely together and thus require fewer roads, water systems, and septic tanks. The result is more land being left intact for farming (or conservation). These higher density rural zones may also encourage a variety of other sustainable practices such as:
Current examples of these zones include:
Conservation Covenants
Conservation covenants are agreements between a land owner and a conservation organization, such as The Land Conservancy of BC (TLC), which limit land uses in order to help owners protect their land in perpetuity. The agreements made are legally binding and are attached to the title of the land forever, no matter who owns it. Covenants may set out stipulations for conserving particular areas or features of a parcel of land, such as quality farmland or ecologically sensitive areas. Alternatively, convenants may be used to regulate the activities that are permissible on a piece of land, such as only allowing sustainable building techniques or keeping the resale value of land restricted.
Sustainable Management of Water, Waste and Energy
There are now some sustainable, safe, and practical solutions available to replace our common yet wasteful and polluting methods of water, waste, and energy management. Examples of sustainable alternatives include:
Using these more sustainable methods may also increase the viability of clustered housing on farm land, as the increased density will not necessarily cause the increased strain on the land that may be seen in conventional developments. Financial and policy support from municipal governments and regulatory bodies, such as the Vancouver Island Health Authority, are needed in order to undertake pilot projects and to subsequently develop these potential solutions into policies and bylaws. The following is and example of a policy that supports sustainable water and waste management:
Community Farms and Commons
In order to purchase and protect rural land, communities are looking for and finding creative solutions. The Community Farms Program Feasibility Study prepared for Farm Folk/City Folk and the TLC, looks at opportunities and barriers for protecting agricultural land. and provides many examples to show the diverse ways community-based farms have been or could be established (TLC, 2009 ). The resulting conservation opportunities range from land being bought by land conservancies with long term leases given to farmers (Madrona Farm), to the formation of cooperatives (Glen Valley Organic Farm), to community ownership of land held as commons (Gabriola Commons).
This paper provides just a small sampling of the policies and practices on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands that are changing in order to increase sustainability in rural communities. Finding ways to protect productive lands and also to house diverse populations on the land in ways that use fewer resources may help to ensure food security and keep small communities thriving in the face of economic challenges like the loss of rural resource extraction jobs. There is much work to be done, but there are many examples to highlight the possibilities for us to live on this land while protecting its beauty and liveability for generations to come.
For more info:
References:
Curran, D. (2005). Protecting the Working Landscape. West Coast Environmental law.
Curran, D. (2003). Smart Bylaws. West Coast Environmental Law. Retrieved June 2010
Sustainability Task Force. (2009). Highlands Sustainability Task Force: Final Report.
Stevenson, J. (2009). Islands Trust Housing Needs Assessment. Retrieved June 2010
The Land Conservancy (TLC). (2009). Community Farms Program Feasibility Study.
Many Thanks to: Maeve Lydon, Charlotte Charlie and Linda Geggie from the Office of Community Based Research at the University of Victoria for sharing information and pictures and for supporting the process; Victoria city council member Phillippe Lucas for providing feedback and editing, to Deb Curran for interviewing, and to Ann Baird for sharing the work she has done as part of the Highlands Sustainability Task Force.
On a daily basis we see and hear about changing weather patterns, peak oil, greater food insecurity, and loss of ecological diversity. More and more people are making important changes at the personal level, such as recycling or planting a garden, but these actions can be slow to address some of the larger, more pressing problems we face, such as the loss of farm land and the lack of affordable housing. As members of our communities we may wish to be informed about and to participate in changes to the policies and practices that effect how we live and build on the land. This paper provides information about some strategies that are helping to address the social, ecological and economic concerns of people living in rural communities on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands and provides some resources that can help individuals get involved in making these changes.
Food Security, Affordable Land and Housing
A number of challenges are currently affecting regional food security, ecological diversity, and the health of rural communities on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Among the most notable effects are: the lack of affordable land and associated housing for those who have traditionally farmed the land, as well as for people of diverse ages and socio-economic status (Stevenson, 2009); and the decline of rural economies due to the loss of jobs in resource extraction.
With the growth in regional populations and the resultant rise in market value of land, agricultural and forested areas are being developed into subdivisions and vacation properties that are unaffordable to many rural residents. While the agricultural land reserve (ALR) has protected some agricultural land in BC, much of the prime rural and agricultural land in Southern BC has been excluded or removed from the ALR and is being lost to development (Curran, 2005). With these kinds of developments comes a loss of both ecological diversity and the population diversity required to keep essential services (ie: schools, volunteer fire departments, farms) up and running. The loss of people to work the land is further exacerbated by the fact that many farmers and land owners are reaching the age of retirement (the average farmer is nearing the age of 60 ( TLC, 2009) ), and there are very few young farmers in a position to take their place. New policies are needed to discourage the loss of rural lands by subdivision and development and to encourage appropriate housing for farm workers and community members of many different socio-economic backgrounds.
A Sign of the Times
The following policies and practices are being taken up or considered in various locations on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Alone or in combination, these policies may help to slow the suburban sprawl in order to protect farm land and forest, create new sources of income for rural residents and additionally to mitigate and address concerns such as climate change, housing, transportation, education and food security:
Zoning Bylaws
Zoning bylaws are developed and enforced by municipal governments and set out the restrictions and allowances for use of a particular piece of land, including use restrictions to limit development in rural areas. Unfortunately, rural zoning designations do not allow for enough appropriate housing to be built on a piece of land to house multiple farmers and their families, making the land affordable to them. This often has the effect of inadvertently encouraging property owners to subdivide and develop agricultural land. The most affective way to protect land may be to focus most new development within urban centres (Curran, 2003). However, in order to increase food security, zoning is needed that will provide affordable housing on land that can be farmed.
One of the many use’s of land
Several new zoning bylaws have been created to provide alternatives to conventional subdivisions. These special zones tend to cluster housing more closely together and thus require fewer roads, water systems, and septic tanks. The result is more land being left intact for farming (or conservation). These higher density rural zones may also encourage a variety of other sustainable practices such as:
- mixed land uses (ie. agriculture, residential, educational/institutional, and commercial) on one piece of land, decreasing a community’s reliance on outside resources, automobile travel, and potentially creating multiple streams of income and employment;
- protection of sensitive ecosystems;
- green energy production;
- “zero waste” strategies;
- local food production;
- and green building only on previously impacted land.
Current examples of these zones include:
- CVRD R-4 Rural Community Residential – This zone came about through work done by the founder of O.U.R Ecovillage, Brandy Gallagher, and the Board of Directors at the Cowichan Valley Regional District. The multiple uses and increased density that this zoning allows is well suited to the needs of an Ecovillage.
- Highlands Net Zero Zone – This is a new zone recommended to the Highland Council by their Sustainability Task Force. It encourages mixed land use, increased densities and protective covenants to achieve sustainable buildings and lifestyles.
- Cortes Island Community Land Stewardship Zone – This zone was created to protect forests slated for clear cut logging, creating small residential and mixed use zones (the purchase of which pays for the land), and protecting the rest through covenants.
Conservation Covenants
Conservation covenants are agreements between a land owner and a conservation organization, such as The Land Conservancy of BC (TLC), which limit land uses in order to help owners protect their land in perpetuity. The agreements made are legally binding and are attached to the title of the land forever, no matter who owns it. Covenants may set out stipulations for conserving particular areas or features of a parcel of land, such as quality farmland or ecologically sensitive areas. Alternatively, convenants may be used to regulate the activities that are permissible on a piece of land, such as only allowing sustainable building techniques or keeping the resale value of land restricted.
Sustainable Management of Water, Waste and Energy
There are now some sustainable, safe, and practical solutions available to replace our common yet wasteful and polluting methods of water, waste, and energy management. Examples of sustainable alternatives include:
- water catchment systems that decrease the strain on ground water;
- composting toilets which decrease the flow of drinkable water and effluent into the oceans and ground waters while recovering resources;
- gray water systems which filter and recycle water;
- and a variety of sustainable energy production and energy efficient technologies.
Using these more sustainable methods may also increase the viability of clustered housing on farm land, as the increased density will not necessarily cause the increased strain on the land that may be seen in conventional developments. Financial and policy support from municipal governments and regulatory bodies, such as the Vancouver Island Health Authority, are needed in order to undertake pilot projects and to subsequently develop these potential solutions into policies and bylaws. The following is and example of a policy that supports sustainable water and waste management:
The “Flush Toilet Ready” policy has been recommended to the Highlands Council by their Sustainability Task Force. This policy works within the building code while enabling home owners to sustainably manage waste, allowing new homes to be constructed with the necessary infrastructure to install a flush toilet (a covenant on the septic field, black water pipes, etc) but to instead allow the installation of a composting toilet in its place.
Community Farms and Commons
In order to purchase and protect rural land, communities are looking for and finding creative solutions. The Community Farms Program Feasibility Study prepared for Farm Folk/City Folk and the TLC, looks at opportunities and barriers for protecting agricultural land. and provides many examples to show the diverse ways community-based farms have been or could be established (TLC, 2009 ). The resulting conservation opportunities range from land being bought by land conservancies with long term leases given to farmers (Madrona Farm), to the formation of cooperatives (Glen Valley Organic Farm), to community ownership of land held as commons (Gabriola Commons).
This paper provides just a small sampling of the policies and practices on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands that are changing in order to increase sustainability in rural communities. Finding ways to protect productive lands and also to house diverse populations on the land in ways that use fewer resources may help to ensure food security and keep small communities thriving in the face of economic challenges like the loss of rural resource extraction jobs. There is much work to be done, but there are many examples to highlight the possibilities for us to live on this land while protecting its beauty and liveability for generations to come.
For more info:
- Conservation covenants, go to The Land Conservancy: http://blog.conservancy.bc.ca
- The Community Farms Program, go to Farm folk/ City Folk: http://www.farmfolkcityfolk.ca/programs/farm/cf/feasIntro.html
- Natural Building and Related policies go to, Anne and Gord Baird’s Eco-sense website: http://www.islandnet.com/~anngord/
- Eco-Forestry Communities go to Living Forest Communities: www.livingforestcommunities.com/
- Gabriola Commons: www.gabriolacommons.ca/
- O.U.R Eco village: www.ourecovillage.org/
- Madrona Farm: http://madronafarm.com/
- Glen Valley Organic Farm Coop: glenvalleyorganicfarmcoop.org/
- Islands Trust: http://www.islandstrust.bc.ca
- Capital Region District: http://www.crd.bc.ca/
- Cooperatives go to, Centre for Cooperative and Community Based Economy: http://www.socialeconomynetwork.ca/
- Research related to food security on Vancouver Island go to, Office of Community Based Research: http://web.uvic.ca/ocbr/
- Vancouver Island Health Authority: http://www.viha.ca/
- The Transition Towns sustainability movement: www.transitiontowns.org/
References:
Curran, D. (2005). Protecting the Working Landscape. West Coast Environmental law.
Retrieved August 2010 from, http://wcel.org/resources/publication/protecting-working-landscape-agriculture-smart-growth-direction-municipalitie-0
Curran, D. (2003). Smart Bylaws. West Coast Environmental Law. Retrieved June 2010
from, http://wcel.org/resources/publication/smart-bylaws-summary.
Sustainability Task Force. (2009). Highlands Sustainability Task Force: Final Report.
Retrieved July 2010 from, http://www.highlands.bc.ca/planning/documents/SustainabilityTaskForce_FinalReport.pdf
Stevenson, J. (2009). Islands Trust Housing Needs Assessment. Retrieved June 2010
from, www.islandstrust.bc.ca/news/pdf/newsfeb042010.pdf
The Land Conservancy (TLC). (2009). Community Farms Program Feasibility Study.
Retrieved may 2010 from, http://www.farmfolkcityfolk.ca/programs/farm/cf/feasIntro.html
Many Thanks to: Maeve Lydon, Charlotte Charlie and Linda Geggie from the Office of Community Based Research at the University of Victoria for sharing information and pictures and for supporting the process; Victoria city council member Phillippe Lucas for providing feedback and editing, to Deb Curran for interviewing, and to Ann Baird for sharing the work she has done as part of the Highlands Sustainability Task Force.
about the author:
Trina McDonald is a 4th year Social Work and Environmental Studies (University of Victoria, BC) student with a passion for food. She is currently working with the Office of Community Based Research on increasing Food Security on the University campus and during the summers she lives and works on a small farm on Salt Spring Island.
Great article!
ReplyDeletevery much enjoyed, you are very well written. After farming with Henry and Margaret on Cortez, I"m back in ontario living in peterborough. There's good work happening all over, and people asking very similar questions!