...if you wait long enough.
Anyone in the public gallery during the Stakeholders' Advisory Committee Meetings, as well as SAC-appointed members and elected officials, have heard
ad nauseum consultants and Greater Vernon Water bureaucrats state that "agricultural water use isn't expected to increase appreciably" (or something to that effect).
"...shows a six per cent increase in tree fruit acreage..."
Fred Steele
The denial that ag water use will increase is even contained within the technical memoranda (TMs 1 through 9) for those meetings, as well as hearing consultants state it during their summaries to the SAC committee.
Yet today on page A21 of the Morning Star, here's an interesting short article that quotes B.C. Tree Fruit Association President, Fred Steele:
"Tree fruits growing:
The latest statistics are fuelling optimism within the tree fruit sector.
The 2016 agriculture census shows a six per cent increase in tree fruit acreage in the past five years and a 51 per cent increase in revenue.
'The census shows why we are optimistic about the tree fruit sector's future,' said Steele...who believes there are a number of reasons for the industry's growth.
'We have benefitted from a strong Buy Local campaign, and our introduction of new varieties of cherries and applies is attracting premium prices and expanding export markets for our product,' he said.
'In terms of production, new horticultural practices that are more productive and environmentally friendly, as well as the introduction of the seasonal agricultural worker program (Mexico and Caribbean workers), have removed barriers to growth.'
The B.C. Fruit Growers' Association represents 520 family operated farms."
What's the big deal about ag water increases?
Why do people care?
Well, for one thing, residents are fed up with paying for agricultural water use (as the segment only contributes slightly over 4 per cent toward Greater Vernon Water's annual budget). Especially since chlorinated water is being applied to crops at huge cost.
And secondly because of bureaucrats' lies.
Lying that the ag sector's water use isn't expected to increase in the next few years.
Residents aren't blind...they've noticed previously-fallow acreages planted to fruit trees...in incredible numbers. Certainly some acreages
did already have water allocations...but the pages of "new requests" found in RDNO agendas proves an upswell of ag water requests.
Because not every parcel had allocations to sell.
Proof is the thousand-plus pages of GVAC agendas (generally about 140 pages for each monthly meeting) in which requests for agricultural water allocation are made.
"Expensive chlorinated--and maybe soon filtered--water will continue to be applied to farmland," Kia would've said "despite our neighbouring community to the south focusing on separating water lines."
If I had no life at all, I'd research those pages and total all the new (requested) water acreage allocations.
But my life doesn't allow for that!
