Value of restorations

The value of such restorations led to a creative partnership between DUC and the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, where the wetland restoration BMP is being made available to farmers through provincial agricultural programs. Nova Scotia was the first province in Canada to adopt the wetland restoration BMP with the Maritime agriculture departments being the only ones in Canada to have implemented a wetland restoration BMP in 2005.

“This partnership was a result of converging programs where DUC was becoming more active in supporting environmental farm planning, riparian area management, soil conservation and nutrient management to benefit wetlands in agricultural areas while agricultural departments were becoming engaged in planning for biodiversity and watershed management.” says Mark Gloutney, manager of Atlantic Operations for DUC. “One of the key advances has been the integration of our program within the provincial agriculture programs. This makes the process more visible to farmers and facilitates the implementation of program. The Maritimes continue to demonstrate world class leadership in environmental agricultural practices.”

Meanwhile, under a special Ontario program, 90 per cent of the nutrient management BMP costs are funded to a maximum of $90,000. “That level of funding catches people’s attention,” says Andy Graham, Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) Stewardship Program Coordinator. The Association manages the delivery of BMPs in Ontario.

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