Protecting speciality cropland from urban development: the case of the Okanagan Valley,British Columbia

Mapping from air photos reveals coinsiderable urbanization of the Okanagan fruitlands between 1966 and 1981. For a number of years reduced areas of fruitland have been compensated for by increased productivity, but the limit of increased productivity has nearly been reached and there are no significant amounts of new land to be planted to fruit. The British Columbia Land Commission Act, with its Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) programme was a bold attempt at preventing the urbanization of prime agricultural land in British Columbia. Undoubtedly the urban conversion of the Okanagan Valley fruitlands has been slowed from what would have occurred without the ALR programme. Nevertheless, sequential maps and records of appeal applications indicate that considerable urban conversion of fruitland is still occurring. There is also evidence that the current British Columbia government's commitment to the ALR programme is waning. If the future urban development patterns and political climate continue along recent trends, it is difficult to be optimistic about preserving the Okanagan fruitlands for future generations.