Ch. 3 Land - Environment Yukon

Regulating Agriculture
Agricultural Development Act
1981 initiated the agricultural land
allocation program in the Yukon.
Agriculture for the 90s, a Yukon
government policy, came into
effect in February 1990. A review
of the policy is expected to be
completed in early 2000. The
1990 policy includes:
■ provisions for allocating land
for agriculture while ensuring
sustainable agricultural development
in accordance with sound
conservation practices; and
■ consideration of social and
economic benefits while
protecting wild habitats, and
maintaining a balance with
competing land uses 1.
The Yukon Grazing Policy (1987)
lays out ground rules for allocating
land for grazing with the following
provisions:
■ grazing lands are allocated on
the basis of the grazing capacity
of the land;
■ grazing animals must be adequately
contained; and
■ grazing management plans
include provision for public
access to grazing lands.
Yukon Game Farming Regulations
were enacted in April 1995 under
the Fish and Wildlife Act.
■ They apply to three species:
Rocky Mountain elk, musk oxen
and wood bison;
■ provide for escapement,
capture and testing; and
■ restrict game farming to the
greater Whitehorse area (other
areas may be considered,
subject to consultation with
local and regional authorities).
occurred with limited consideration of
other resource values such as trapping
or wildlife habitat.
The Yukon government’s primary objective
for the agricultural program is
import replacement. This has been
achieved to a degree with respect to
hectares
of land
hectares of land
3000
2000
1000
0
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
1971
1983
local forage production which currently
comprises close to 50 per cent of
Yukon consumption. Import replacement
in food products is more difficult
due to the low cost of imports from the
south. The operation of the abattoir
near Dawson City is expected to assist
Area of Agricultural Agreements for Sale
6 2 ❧ Y U K O N S T A T E O F T H E E N V I R O N M E N T R E P O R T 1999
1985
1987
1989
83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
1991
1993
1995
Cumulative Area of Land Dispositions (1983-1999)
Figure 3.21 Agricultural Land Disposal–1981 to 1999
Most agricultural development in the past 20 years has occurred in the greater
Whitehorse area on agriculture capability class five soils. In 1993, Whitehorse accounted
for 71 per cent of the agriculture development in the Yukon. Agriculture in this area is
primarily a lifestyle choice with many part time farmers dependent on employment within
the city. Interest in agricultural lands close to major settlements and employment
opportunities is expected to continue.
estimated 1998-99 1998-99 % projected %
imports projected actual imports to 2003-04 imports
chicken 500,000 5,000 4,346 0.8 13,500 2.7
turkey 100 135 900
beef 5,000 30 21 0.4 130 2.6
hogs 3,000 60 23 0.0 300 2.5
Figure 3.22 Processing at Partridge Creek Farm Abattoir
Source: projected data of number of animals from Partridge Creek Farm abattoir plan.
1997
1999