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Wetland Restoration Accepted as Beneficial Management Practice 
DUC encouraged by the addition of agricultural wetland funding to the Agricultural Policy Framework.
Summary—Details the importance of the recent decision by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to accept wetland restoration as an eligible beneficial management practice within the Agricultural Policy Framework.
DUC was notified recently that wetland restoration has been accepted by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AFFC) as a beneficial management practice (BMPs) within the Agricultural Policy Framework (APF). Ultimately, this decision will provide landowners with an opportunity to take advantage of government funding to restore drained wetlands on their farms.
DUC has been working to have wetland restoration included among BMPs since 2003. After submitting A Case for Wetland Restoration to the AAFC in 2004, DUC again made the case for wetland restoration to be included in the National BMP list in October of this year, when the National Farm Stewardship Program (NFSP) and subsequent BMPs were being revised.
The AAFC National BMP Committee now agrees that wetland restoration is an important environmental issue that should be funded under the NFSP, and it will be included as an eligible activity under two existing BMPs. Specifically, wetland restoration has been accepted under:
- Category 21: Enhancing Wildlife Habitat and Biodiversity, and
- Category 28: Biodiversity Enhancement Planning
This means that agricultural producers in provinces that include these BMPs on their eligibility lists, and who are eligible under the NFSP, will be able to receive technical assistance and funding for activities such as earthwork, equipment rental and consulting fees to ensure the wetland is restored as close as possible to the original size, depth and ecological function.
“This decision by AAFC is a tangible, positive result of our policy work and sets the stage for increased wetland restoration throughout the country,” says Dr. Henry Murkin, DUC’s Director of Conservation Programs. “Not only does the decision add credibility to DUC's assertion that wetland restoration is a good environmental practice within the agricultural industry, it also identifies wetland restoration as a positive contribution to the goals of the APF. DUC's next step will be working with the APF Environmental Working Group, or its equivalent in each province, to ensure they accept wetland restoration as an eligible activity.”
Watch for updates on this important policy.
For more information
Sarah Hodges
Ducks Unlimited Canada
204-276-3252
s_hodges@ducks.ca
