MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - Fourteen producers in Mountain View County were approved for ALUS land conservation and enhancement projects in 2021, with total funding of $93,927 involved, members of the agricultural service board (ASB) heard.
During the Jan. 17 ASB meeting, administration updated members on 2021 ALUS projects, which impacted 275 acres of wetland, riparian and upland areas.
It is estimated that local producers contributed about $136,000 to the projects' establishment, including for material costs, equipment and labour.
ALUS projects see landowners work with county and other officials to conserve and protect land.
As well as the 14 producers involved in new projects in 2021, last year saw seven existing producers renew their ALUS contacts for an additional five years.
The ASB is made up of county councillors and appointed public members. It advises the county and province on agricultural-related issues and concerns.
To date, the county’s ALUS program has seen 44 producers involved with more than 300 projects, conserving and enhancing approximately 1,800 acres of wetland, riparian and upland areas, members heard.
During the recent board meeting, members were also given an update on the Riparian and Ecological Enhancement Program (REEP) in 2021.
There were two REEP projects approved with total funding of $4,492. As well a total of $20,507 of Alberta Conservation Association grant funding was allocated to ALUS projects along with $25,000 of Mountain View County funding.
Last year saw 22 follow-up riparian health assessments compiled on 2016 projects.
Ten sites scored healthy, three scored healthy with problems, and nine scored unhealthy.
“The number of sites scoring unhealthy after five years is uncharacteristic and may also be attributed to the assessments being conducted during an extended period of drought and heat,” administration said in a briefing note to the board.
Factors contributed to sites that decreased in health or scored unhealthy included fences needing to be repaired, dugout projects where livestock still had access to the dugout, increase of invasive species, and a change of ownership of one site, members heard.
“It is also important to note that of the sites assessed, five were ALUS project sites and all these sites improved and scored healthy, which demonstrates the commitment of these participants and the value of implementing an overall management change on their farms.”
The board accepted the ALUS and REEP reports as information.
Meanwhile, members passed a motion calling on the Mountain View County's chief administrative officer to approve amendments to the procedure for REEP program funding.
“Changes to Section 2.3 are to align with the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) program to incur non-invasive introduced species of trees, shrubs, grass, grass-like species and forks, rather than just native,” administration said in a briefing note to the board.
“As well in review of dugout projects complete under REEP, when completing five-year follow-up visits, it has been found that projects that are not part of a larger management change on a parcel of land, do not achieve the riparian enhancement goals of the program.
“For consideration of the ASB is that dugout projects will only be considered as part of a larger management change and where there is a linkage to natural water bodies, to also be included in procedure 2.3.”
