The Rural Voice, 1997-01, Page 54PERTH
Ann Sebben, R.R. #1, Mitchell NOK 1NO Phone/Fax 393-5029
PCFA Office 229-6430 Fax 229-6269 e-mail: ht730@hometown.on.ca
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
The Rural Voice is provided to farmers
in Perth County by the PCFA.
Land Use and Farm Practices Committee
In 1996 the OFA Land Use and
Farm Practices Committee has
addressed a number of issues facing
farmers in Ontario.
The Farm Practices Protection
Act was enacted to protect farmers
against nuisance complaints over
agricultural odour, noise or dust
resulting from "normal farm
practices". Over the past year, a sub-
committee prepared a discussion
paper on changes the farming
community would like to see
incorporated into the new legislation.
The Committee:
i) held a meeting with the past
chair of the Farm Practices
Protection Board, Robert Waters;
ii) attended a conference in
Ottawa last March sponsored by the
National Agriculture Environment
Committee (NAEC) on different
national issues on right -to -farm in
Canada;
iii) presented a "model" Farm
Practices Protection Act to Minister
Villeneuve on August 19, 1996.
An OFA Agricultural Land Use
and Farm Practices sub -committee
has prepared a land use policy
discussion paper in response to a
resolution for debate at the October
Board Meeting.
Another sub -committee prepared
a top soil discussion paper
recommending that OFA adopt a
policy on top soil.
As Canada's railroads downsize
their operations, miles of track are
being abandoned. In response to the
concerns of county federations and
individual farmers, the Committee
commissioned a resource document
for counties facing rail abandonment.
We are pleased to announce that a
resource document has been
completed and distributed to county
federations and fieldstaff personnel.
The Committee did extensive
work with the Essex Federation in its
development of an acceptable
agreement for the use of an
50 THE RURAL VOICE
abandoned rail line in the county that
was purchased for recreational
purposes by the Essex Region
Conservation Authority (ERCA).
This agreement is available as
information for county federations
faced with a similar situation.
OFA continues its involvement in
a working group, with government
and industry representatives, dealing
with predator compensation and
control issues.
Work continues with the Ministry
of Transportation on proposed
requirements for annual inspections
for self-propelled implements of
husbandry.
The Committee met with Tiffany
Svensson, Project Coordinator for the
Water Quality Working Group. Glen
Martin and Tiffany are keeping the
Committee informed of the nitrate
level study involving farms in the
Waterloo area.
Consultations were held with the
Ontario Federation of Anglers and
Hunters (OFAH) on the subject of
compensation for crop damage from
sandhill cranes in Northern Ontario
as well as on the development of a
lease agreement for the recreational
use of farmland.
The Committee assisted in the
development of OFA's submission
on the Land Use Planning and
Protection Act (Bill 20), which
amends the Planning Act and Bill
163. The key effects of these
amendments is to shift the
responsibility for land use decisions
to municipal governments. The onus
is on county federations to make
their views on land use clearly
known to local councils.
Our Committee, in co-operation
with county federations in the
Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
prepared comments for the
committee reviewing the Golden
Task Force Report on the future of
the GTA. We were extremely
concerned that the concerns of
agriculture were ignored by the
Golden Task Force during its
consultations.
The Agricultural Land Use and
Farm Practices Committee and the
Environment Committee met to
pursue the matter of compensation
for farmers whose property is either
the site of or adjacent to a landfill.
Anyone with questions or
opinions on new Land Use Policy are
invited to contact the Federation
Office and these will be forwarded to
our County Property Committee.0
PERTH COUNTY
FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE
DIRECTORS' MEETING
Thursday, January 23, 1997
Downie Mutual Fire Insurance Office, Sebringville
10:45 a.m.
ALL MEMBERS ARE WELCOME