Goderich Signal Star, 2017-03-22, Page 27'Living Fences' proposed
Project to allow increase in crop yields
while decreasing winter maintenance
Kathleen Smith
Goderich Signal Star
During the winter months
in Huron County, there is an
ever-increasing frequency of
extreme weather negatively
affecting agricultural land as
well as major roadway driv-
ing conditions.
On Wednesday, March 15
at a Committee of the Whole
meeting, Senior Environ-
mental Planner at the Minis-
try of Transportation (MTO)
James Corcoran presented
the 'Living Fences' project
that would benefit Huron
County on several fronts.
Among many benefits,
there would he an increase of
agricultural production,
while providing natural pro-
tection from extreme weather
and an increase of winter
driving safety. This provides.
an opportunity to save on
winter maintenance.
The project 'Living Fences'
would develop partnerships
with conservation authori-
ties such as Maitland Valley
and Ausable Bayfield Con-
servation Authorities to stra-
tegically develop appropri-
ate natural blockage for
major roadways such as
Highways 21, 8 and 4, while
also acting as a beneficial
farm Windbreak.
In a 15 -year study from
Wyoming, United States, it
was found that properly
designed living fences were
able to decrease snow
removal expenditures, as
well as a 60% reduction in
collisions due to blowing
snow conditions. (Further
information can be found on
the "Forests For Our Future"
report on huroncounty.ca).
There is no argument
against the fact that the
fences would provide better
blockage to blowing and
drifting snow, but a possible
challenge to the project is on
whether this project would
decrease agricultural Jand
values, seeing as landowners
would be giving away a strip
of property.
A major concern for this
project is how much space
owners of agricultural land
are willing to provide to the
county in order to create
these living fences. Currently
landowners are compen-
sated $500 per acre for a
term of 5 years.
A relationship between
landowner and Conservation
Authorities and a partnership
with the MTO, it was pro-
posed that the 'Living Fences'
project would positively ben-
efit the community.
""Ihis program is unique in
that it includes some fund-
ing to offset what is per-
ceived as a loss of agricul-
tural land that is given up for
Wednesday, March 22, 2017 • Signal Star 27
Kathleen Smith/Goderich Signal Star
Senior Environmental Planner at the Ministry of Transportation
of Ontario, James Corcoran presents MTO's Living Snow Fences
Project within Huron County in the Committee of the Whole
meeting at Goderich Courthouse.
these windbreaks; Corcoran
explained at the meeting.
Despite possible setbacks
and challenges, the MTO
believes that the 'Living
Fences' project would allow
for a potential increase in
crop yields, decrease winter
maintenance expenditures
and provide safer winter
driving conditions in the
county.
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