Input wanted to strengthen flood planning, response

Oct 21, 2022

With climate change and extreme weather becoming more frequent, people are encouraged to provide feedback about how best to prepare for future flooding in B.C.

The Ministry of Forests and Emergency Management BC are releasing an intentions paper focused on specific actions to mitigate flooding, such as the fall 2021 atmospheric river. The intentions paper provides discussion points about improved assessment, decision-making, preparedness and response, and crucial investments to safeguard communities.

The paper is posted on the Engage BC website, and people have until Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, to provide detailed comments and submissions: engage.gov.bc.ca/bcfloodstrategy

The Province is engaging with First Nations and local governments from October until December 2022. The final strategy will address provincial commitments under the B.C. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and align with the UN Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The Province is also reaching out for feedback across sectors, including natural resources, agriculture and ranching, industry, construction and home building, engineering and road building, tourism and hospitality, and insurance.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.