If I plant a riparian tree crop will I be allowed to harvest it in 30 or 40 years or will it become an environmentally protected area?
It is difficult to anticipate changes in legislation that may prevent the harvesting of riparian areas 30 or 40 years down the road. Currently farmers have no legislative requirements for leaving a specific width buffer strip around on-farm watercourses. However, discussions are underway between the BC Agriculture Council, Ministry of Environment and the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands to develop riparian guidelines for agricultural land. This legislation will be contained under the provincial Fish Protection Act. The federal Fisheries Act while pertaining to farmland is more reactive to farm practices that may harm inhabiting fish in farm waterways as opposed to prescribing setbacks. Under the Farm Practices Protection Act a “Farm Operation” is described as any activity that involves growing, producing or raising animals or plants or the primary products of those plants or animals. This includes intensively cultivating in plantations any specialty wood or fibre crop as prescribed
