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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen Agriculture, 2003-03-19, Page 27PAGE A-2. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2003. Funding assists farmers with water protection Protecting waterways By offering funding incentives, the Maitland Valley and Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authorities are helping to stop situations such as this. By Janice Becker Citizen staff Water, a renewable resource which has been abused and neglected. However, the threat to this valuable commodity has been brought to the forefront in recent years, forcing governments, agencies and individuals to initiate projects to not only help clean up water sources, but prevent contamination. The Ausable Bayfield (ABCA) and Maitland Valley Conservation Authorities (MVCA) administer programs to attain this goal. One of the most recent, offered through the Great Lakes Renewal Foundation, provides assistance for improving manure storage facilities. Doug Hocking, water quality co ordinator with MVCA, said the intent of the program is to “eliminate negative impacts such as run-off from yards.” For the 10 Maitland Valley and five Ausable Bayfield projects, Hocking said $225,000 has been allocated, with 50 per cent to a maximum of $15,000 for each manure storage rehabilitation. The grants are to “fix existing water quality concerns for streams, groundwater and wells,” said Hocking, “ not build new bams.” Each grant amount will be site and project-specific and will cover undertakings such as creating covered manure storage, or adding a run-off tank for solid manure storage or an exercise yard. The applications were a fill-in-the- blanks form with points awarded for each response. The point totals determine which projects receive funding. MVCA staff does not make the final decisions, said Hocking. A review committee made up of members from various commodity groups makes the decision. “They have reviewed hundreds of environmental projects,” he said. “They have a lot of experience and they are all locals.” The selection process of the top applications is expected to be completed this month. Approximately 20 site reviews are then undertaken. Hocking said March is usually a good time for site inspections as the snow cover is melting and run-off patterns are easy to detect. Presentations are pulled together with computer graphics and visuals of the site. Hocking said a few extra projects are chosen as some contenders may not follow through or they complete the work prior to receiving funding. An announcement of the final 15 or 16 grant recipients chosen by the review committee is expected in April. Interest in the initiative was very good, particularly with the impending implementation of new nutrient management plan regulations. “I had three calls before 10 a.m. on the morning of the announcement,” said Hocking. This initiative complements OMAF’s Healthy Futures for Huron Agriculture program (HFH) which provides a $5,000 grant for capital projects to install eavestroughs on roofs, create water diversion systems, landscape to change the flow of run-off and prevent the flushing of manure storage structures. “We have had more than 400 calls since July 2001 on HFH,” said Hocking. An announcement came in late January that HFH would continue through 2003 as there is still money in the pot. The Huron program, co-sponsored by the county, which runs in conjunction with a province-wide initiative, has been one of the most successful. Six hundred and fifty projects were approved and $2 million in grants accepted. However, there is still $400,000 left to be allocated. There are three categories of eligible projects with 14 sub categories, each with specific maximum grants offered. Some of the projects eligible under nutrient management include milkhouse wash water with a maximum grant of $7,500; manure monitoring system, $2,250 or livestock restriction to water courses, $25,000. For homesteads, septic systems are eligible for a maximum grant of $6,500 while plugging abandoned wells projects can receive $3,000. Erosion control program funding can range from $2,250 to $15,000. All funding is based on 50 per cent of the cost to a maximum of the set limit. All grants are offered on a first- come, first-serve basis. For information on funding programs to improve water quality, contact the MVCA at 335-3557 or the ABCA at 235-2610. THIS SEASON! We will customize a fertilizer and chemical program specific to your requirements. Managing a farm is never easy The business of farming is getting tougher. 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