ASB discusses authority to declare agricultural disasters

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

During the April 3 Agriculture Service Board (ABS) meeting, members discussed the delegation of authority for declaring agricultural disasters within the county, and the ASB bylaw.

“Wheatland County Council and the Agricultural Service Board (ASB) recognize the challenges agricultural producers may face during certain years of very poor growing conditions,” said George Bloom, agricultural fieldman with Wheatland County. “The ASB and council can help bring more broad awareness to these challenges through the local declaration of an agricultural disaster.”

During the regular meeting of council, July 4, council delegated the final decision for declaring an agricultural disaster for the 2023 growing season to the ASB. 

The following day, during the ASB meeting, a motion was passed to make the declaration of an agricultural disaster. 

Bloom noted council has in recent years, typically sought the opinion of the ASB, or has delegated authority to it when deliberating, and making decisions regarding whether or not to declare agricultural disasters. 

An amendment to the ASB bylaw may allow council to streamline the process of declaring disasters by allowing the ASB an ongoing authority to declare within the county. 

“The recommendation to delegate this authority to the ASB is being made under the premise of streamlining the associated administrative processes,” said Bloom. “Delegation of this authority does not preclude the ability of council to make the decision to declare an agricultural disaster should council wish to do so.”

According to legislation dictated in the Municipal Government Act, a council may by bylaw delegate any of its powers, duties, or functions under section 2023(1) or any other enactment or a bylaw to a council committee or any person unless an enactment or bylaw provides otherwise.

From the Alberta Emergency Management Act, “A local authority may, at any time when it is satisfied that an emergency exists or may exist in its municipality, by resolution or, in the case of the Minister responsible for the Municipal Government Act, the Minister responsible for the Special Areas Act or a park superintendent of a national park, by order, make a declaration of a state of local emergency relating to all or any part of the municipality.”

During the Oct. 4 ASB meeting, the board passed a resolution to direct administration to draft a revision to Bylaw 2019-19, adding a clause to delegate the authority to the Agricultural Service Board to declare Agricultural Disasters within Wheatland County.

This draft was to be brought back before the ASB, prior to being submitted for consideration before council. 

Declarations of agricultural disasters serve the purpose of bringing awareness to issues within the province, though they do not trigger a provincial declaration, nor access to any funding or support for the issue directly. 

Wheatland County ASB directed Bloom to present a report to Wheatland County council regarding the proposed addition to Bylaw 2019-29 to delegate authority to declare an agricultural disaster to the ASB.

This report will come forward in a future council meeting. The exact date was not indicated during the ASB meeting.