The Rural Voice, 2005-03, Page 44News in Agriculture
Farmers must be on side with source plan
Getting farmers, the largest holders
of land, on side with source water
protection will be a big challenge
says Brian Luinstra, water resources
co-ordinator with the Maitland
Valley Conservation Authority.
Speaking at the MVCA annual
meeting in Wroxeter Februaryl6,
Luinstra said that source water
protection is being implemented by
the provincial government at a time
when farmers are facing an
emergency in income due to the BSE
crisis and historically -low crop prices
as well as increased government
requirements through such things as
nutrient management planning.
Luinstra said that between the
O'Connor Report on the Walkerton
tragedy and four subsequent reports
into how to implement source water
protection, there have been several
thousands of pages written on the
subject of how to protect water from
being contaminated in the first place.
The theory is that it's cheaper to keep
water from being infected with
pollutants than to clean up the water
that has been affected. The approach
is to protect water on a watershed
basis and conservation authorities
have been assigned a primary role in
doing this.
Over the next six months MVCA
staff must assemble a "water budget"
containing all watershed data so they
can understand who's using water.
what water is available and what will
happen in the case of land -use
change or climate change.
The MVCA and Ausable Bayfield
Conservation Authority have been
combined as a watershed region, but
each will have its own Source
Protection Board (the CA members),
its own watershed protection
committee (a stakeholder
committee), and create its own plan.
The fact each CA has its own
Source Protection Planning
committee is important because each
will want to ensure it will involve
local stakeholders, Luinstra said.
"We need good stakeholder input at
the start to create a good long-term
plan," he said.
MVCA has a specific issue other
areas don't: "how to we reach out to
the Amish and Mennonite
40 THE RURAL VOICE
communities," Luinstra said, noting
the conservation authority doesn't
have regular contact with these
landowners.
Another challenge will be to
identify who should be at the table
for planning, he said, noting he
understands there will be five seats
recommended for municipalities but
there are far more municipalities
included in the coverage area.
As well as how to involve the
farming community there's also the
task of figuring out what additional
responsibilities will be given to
municipalities under source water
protection.
Even once a plan is developed it
will be an ongoing project, Luinstra
said. "We'll make mistakes we'll
have to go back and change."
In a question from the floor,
Luinstra was asked if there would be
any compensation for farmers and
homeowners if the value of their
property is devalued by restrictions
under source water protection.
"At this point (the province) is not
identifying how they're going to deal
with that," Luinstra said, "but if we
don't think about how this is going to
be implemented we won't get buy -in
from farmers and farm groups."
Source water protection planning is
going to be one of the priorities for
MVCA in 2005, Phil Beard, general
manager told the meeting.
Rick Steele, watershed information'
co-ordinator, outlined the operation
of a new website set up under a pilot
project with the Saugeen Valley
Conservation Authority. The "My
Land, Our Water" website helps
inform landowners about how likely
it is for water to run rapidly through,
or over, their land based on a high,
medium or low probability. Property
owners can click on a map on the
website to identify their specific
property and get information on the
topography and soil structure of their
land.
The website is part of a three-part
communications strategy which also
involves personal visits by MVCA
extension staff as well as a kiosk in
the MVCA headquarters where
people can come to get information.
"The goal is to raise awareness about
their property," Steele said.
Landowners can access
information on their property through
myland.mvca.on.ca or
myland.svca.on.ca.
Beard said the MVCA's watershed
partnership team wants to tackle the
problem of conflict between
Lakeshore residents and inland.
landowners by trying to create
greater understanding. The group
wants to organize a tour to show
what can and is being done by
farmers to protect water, show the
improvements Goderich has been
making to its sewage treatment
system which reduced bypass
incidents to zero last year, and review
rural water quality projects and
alternative farming systems.
Meanwhile the terrestrial team
wants to encourage better forest
management and encourage more
reforestation of marginal lands,
Beard said.0
CCIA extends RFID
tagging policy
The CCIA has extended the
previously announced RFID tagging
timeline to ensure the majority of 2005
calves make it through the system
with a recognized bar-coded tag.
As of September 1, 2006 all cattle
leaving their herd of origin must
have a CCIA approved RF1D tag
applied to the ear. The revised date
will assist producers in obtaining the
approved RFID tags as well as
provide an extended time period for
tagging. In order to facilitate bar
coded tags on cattle that have left
their herd of origin prior to
September 1, 2006, the CCIA will
also continue to recognize the bar
coded tags until at least December
31, 2007.
Currently, there are six CCIA
approved RFID tags. All six
approved tags have the following
attributes: A CCIA identification
number unique to the individual
animal: CCIA Trademark (3/4 Maple
Leaf and "CA" letter); are yellow in
color with a yellow backing stud;
met all requirements in the Canadian
National Standards for RFID
technology.0