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The Citizen, 2006-11-30, Page 184fa. .0‘r enrol Huron NOTICE TO THE RATEPAYERS OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CENTRAL HURON Final Tax Bill's second installment is due Thursday, Nov. 30'h, 2006. If you wish to use the monthly pre- authorized payment plan, please contact the Municipal Office prior to Dec. 31'', 2006 for the 2007 taxation year. 1.11111I.AMMI f Sing a Song I Of Christmas May peace and harmony ‘' reign during this most ret noteworthy season. We're always delighted ft to hear from you. el Merry Christmas! 326 Josephine St. Wingham 70 Court House Square Goderich PROGRAM TOPICS: Wednesday, December 6 - Wednesday, December 13 - Wednesday, December 20 - Wednesday, December 27 - Infant C.P.R. Choking & Safety Infant Car Seat Safety Share Your Birth Experience CANCELLED Merry Christmas! "BABY AND I PRO- GRAM" CLINTON PUBLIC HOSPITAL December 2006, 10:00 - 11:30 CONFERENCE ROOM 2nd Floor WHEN ATTENDING FOR THE FIRST TIME PLEASE REGISTER IN ADMIT- TING For more info call Veronica Farquhar - 519-482-3440 Ext. 6304 rt Can't decide what o give for Christmas? ,..,,..s.,,.....„„...„,....„,....„,.„ !..„....„,„„_:„...,,,..„,..„.....„:„,:,„:„ -[1[1-11I .f1111 ,,tii:q5'.-A7S;c.5:7.0, .24.4w►''''', - -.:-._*-.:`_- _ • -,-.-er..1,.s' r:'!.'ief-D, FOR A BOOK A gift certificate lets the recipient choose the bookthey want. We have shelves of books to choose from. Everything from books on trains to gar- dening to cookbooks. The Citizen 541 Turnberry St., Brussels 519-887-9114 404 Queen St., Blyt h 519-523-4792 Municipality of Huron East Appointments The Municipality of Huron East is accepting applications from interested citizens of Huron East to serve on the following Boards and Committees: • Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority • Seaforth & District Community Centres Committee • Brussels Morris Grey Community Centres Committee • Vanastra Recreation Centre Committee • Business Growth & Economic Delevopment Committee • Brussels Medical-Dental Centre - Board of Management • Brussels Cemetery Board • Seaforth Community Trust Committee • Brussels Community Trust Committee • Heritage Committee . For additional information concerning responsibilities, etc. please contact the Municipal Office. Applications, clearly marked, outlining background and interest in the position should be addressed to the undersigned prior to December 151b 2006 at 12:00 noon. Mayor Joe Seili Clerk-Administrator J.R. McLachlan Municipality of Huron East 72 Main Street South, PO Box 610 Seaforth, Ontario NOK 519-527-0160 PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN THURSDAY NOVEMBER 30, 2006. Meeting considers value of land and nature Shopping for information Don and Kittie MacGregor of Londesborough pick up information at one of the booths at the Valuing Nature and Your Land meeting at Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre, Nov. 23. More than 100 people attended to learn more about the concept of compensating farmers for environmental goods and services. (Keith Roulston photo) exports of agricultural products have exploded, Bailey said. There are benefits for those who add value to farm products in export- ing them, but the wealth created by farmland is poorly distributed to the farmers. Given their declining income, "to expect farmers to pro- vide more for the environment through regulation is impossible." Bailey said there is an environ- mental cost to the status quo. The farm income crisis has created an erosion of the natural, social -and economic capital of rural Canada, he said. While competitors like the U.S. and European Community have "green box" programs under the World Trade Organization rules which support their farmers' envi- ronmental efforts, Canadian farmers are left on their own. There have been billions of dollars handed out in farm income support programs with- out having a lasting effect. Meanwhile, he said, there has been a proliferation of ineffective environmental regulation. Bailey promotes Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) which gives money to farmers to provide servic- es they aren't normally paid for. The concept is now policy for the Canadian Federation of Agriculture Continued on page 19 By Keith Roulston The Citizen More than 100 people, intrigued about the concept of paying farmers for providing environmental goods and services, attended a meeting at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre, Nov. 23. The meeting, jointly sponsored by the Huron Stewardship Council, Maitland Valley Conservation Authority and Huron County plan- ning department, brought together speakers from across Ontario to dis- cuss ways of compensating landowners for benefits they produce for society for which there are cur- rently no returns. Ian Campbell of Agriculture and Agrifood Canada sits on a federal- provincial committee looking into the issue He explained that farmers produce market products, food and fibre, and non-market products such as environmental benefits. The fed- eral and provincial governments are looking at the possibility of creating a "market" for these benefits, he said. The work of the committee was endorsed at the Nov. 14 meeting of federal and provincial ministers of agriculture. Dr. Robert Bailey vice-president of policy, Canada, for Delta Waterfowl Foundation elaborated on these non-market values many of which are essential to our life-sup- port system. We can't survive with- out clean air, he said. We can last only a few days without water. Food produced on farmland sustains both the consumer and, economically, the producer. Plants grown on farmland and for- est help produce clean air. Farmland collects water which flows to streams and the groundwater to sup- port human activity. Farmland also provides habitat for wildlife and fish and contributes to biodiversity. But because farmers are only rewarded for food and fibre and not for environmental "products" of their farms, they are not encouraged to increase their efforts to provide these services that are beneficial to society. Meanwhile farm incomes have remained static even while Canada's AUBURN AUTO TRIM New & Used Truck Accessories • Toppers • Box Liners • Tonneau Covers • Running Boards • Southern Truck Boxes & Doors 131 York St., Auburn Phone: 519-526-1078