BC farmer fined nets $30K for breaching an environmental order

A rancher from Westwold, British Columbia, was ordered to pay an administrative penalty of approximately $30,000 following a conviction in Provincial Court. Rancher Erik Buff pleaded guilty to obstructing natural resource officers in the lawful execution of their duties, contrary to the Water Sustainability Act.

In a March 26 Judge David Patterson made a decision for rancher’s summer 2023 contravention of the Water Sustainability Act, during a period between Aug. 16 and Sept. 6 of that year when a fish protection order had been issued by the Ministry of Environment due to severe drought conditions in the area.

Rancher Erik Buff just blocked natural resource officers from entering his farm, preventing them from verifying whether he was using water from the river to irrigate his alfalfa field.

By the court he has entered a guilty plea as follows:

Erik Buff from the 16th day of August, 2023 to the 6th day of September, 2023, inclusive at or near Westwold, in the Province of British Columbia, did interfere with delay, obstruct, or otherwise impede an officer or officers from performing their duties or exercising a power under the Water Sustainability Act, SBC 2014, c 15, to wit officer or officers conducting Inspections, contrary to section 107{1} (h) of the Water Sustainability Act, SBC 2014, c 15.

https://www.canlii.org/en/bc/bcpc/doc/2026/2026bcpc85/2026bcpc85.html

The order prohibited irrigation from the Salmon River and specified groundwater sources for the purpose of protecting fish populations.

The order was met with considerable pushback from local farmers, who feared their crops would be lost if they couldn’t water during the warm summer weeks that it was to be in place.

A dairy farmer questioned why some in the area are able to irrigate while forage crop farmers that need to feed their livestock can’t. “Why in their wisdom did they decide that berries and fruit are more important than beef or livestock?” he said, adding forage farmers contribute to local food security in the form of products such as dairy and beef.

https://vernonmorningstar.com/2023/09/03/westwold-farmers-irate-fear-crops-will-be-lost-as-fish-protection-order-cuts-off-water/

What we have been witnessing in British Columbia over the past few years under the NDP government is deeply concerning. Targeting food producers, enabling land acquisition by corporate Indigenous bands, and restricting farmers’ access to water under fake environmental agenda is unacceptable.

DB