FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO FARMERS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS

Yesterday's Elmira Independent carrys this story: "Grants available to farmers to protect water quality". These are made available via the Grand River Conservation Authority (519-621-2761 or 1-866-900-4722). These grants can be used"...to upgrade existing wells, plug unused wells, develop a nutrient management plan, handle milk-house waste, control erosion, fence livestock out of water courses, plant trees, build manure storage facilities...". All of these proposed activities are to mitigate damage done to the environment from agricultural practices. It is an unfortunate fact of life that even with these improvements, agriculture is a necessary, albeit negative stress on the natural environment. To this day livestock can still routinely be seen grazing in the floodplain and along the banks of the Canagagigue Creek, Conestoga and Grand Rivers in Woolwich Township. They create manure and erosion effects, all of which end up in our rivers thus degrading them both for drinking and for aquatic life.