Mountain View County councillors have approved $40,000 in funding for the Legacy Land Trust project now underway in the region.
The project will see residents able to donate their land to the trust, where it would then be preserved as agricultural land. A multi-stakeholder committee is currently working on the creation of a land trust in Mountain View County.
During the May 14 council meeting, councillors also appointed Coun. Jeremy Sayer to sit as the county's representative on the Legacy board. Coun. Al Kemmere is also on the board.
Sayer said supporting the project adheres to two of the county's recently adopted strategic goals:
• To provide an environment in which traditional and new forms of agriculture along with innovative, value-added agricultural industry can thrive.
• Exert maximum influence to protect and preserve the region's unique and precious natural environment.
The $40,000 will be used as seed money to help prepare a business plan for the land trust project, said Coun. Kemmere.
Following the vote to approve the funding and the councillor appointment, Reeve Bruce Beattie said the land trust project will benefit the county over the long term.
“We think this is a good initiative and one we supported about three years ago with the previous council,” said Beattie. “Certainly there is a significant need to develop policies to keep good agriculture land in agriculture. I just spent two days at a land use forum in Edmonton and when you see evidence of the loss of good agriculture land and what a limited resource it is, not only the world but in Canada, there is a need to preserve agriculture land.
“In 10, 15, 20 years food production might be critical to have, and in particular as transportation becomes more expensive.”
Councillors also passed a motion calling for the business plan to be presented to council when it is prepared.
