The Village of Pemberton, in partnership with Stewardship Pemberton Society (SPS), created an Agricultural Parks Master Plan that includes four publicly-owned (or tenured) parcels of land both in and outside of the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) totaling 27.5 hectares (approximately 67 acres).
Visioning for the Plan began in 2014 and the long term vision for the Plan is to manage the unique parcels within the Agricultural Parks Master Plan by and for the community for enhanced agricultural production, under the guidance of the Village of Pemberton.
The services of Upland Agricultural Consulting and KSalin Land Planning were retained to assess the parcels for their suitability for community supported agricultural activities that were consistent with the Agricultural Land Commission Act. The scope of the Plan included an agricultural feasibility assessment to identify specific uses that could lead to viable food production opportunities , connected to community needs, while maintaining viewsheds and urban design integrity with the neighbourhoods.
The Plan was developed throughfour phases:
1) Site-based soil analysis;
2) Agricultural suitability assessment;
3) Connections to the broader community (visual and contextual); and
4) Agricultural Parks Master Plan report.
The Plan informs the Village of Pemberton’s future review of its Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw and is an exemplary collaborative initiative between local government, non-profit organizations, and the community at large.
