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County staff recommend continuing multiple agricultural protection areas after 20‑year review
Summary
Staff reviewed several 20‑year agricultural protection area applications, conducted site visits and owner outreach, found active grazing/crops and minimal written complaints, and recommended continuing the protections for another 20 years.
County planning staff presented a routine 20‑year review of multiple agricultural protection areas and recommended continuing the protections on parcels that meet the program thresholds.
Peggy (county staff) described three Church-owned protection areas in the Alberta area (one ~42,000 acres, another ~11,000 acres and a large phase with 68 parcels) and smaller areas including Stewart Farms and the McMullen–Palmer protection area. Staff said they inspected sites, confirmed grazing or crops in most cases, contacted property owners and adjacent cities, and found few or no written complaints within the review windows. One Church‑owned parcel had a single sheriff’s-office complaint for loose cattle; staff noted the review threshold for triggering a full re-evaluation is five complaints in a three‑year period.
For the parcels reviewed, staff recommended continuation of the agricultural protection areas for another 20 years. Commissioners asked about complaint follow-up and how staff would proceed if additional complaints are filed; staff said files meeting the complaint threshold would be referred for a full review with public hearings.
