[getsmart-l] Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS)-success in Norfolk

[Gloria Boxen]

Please direct correspondence on the CFFO Commentary to  John Clement , General Manager at clement at christianfarmers.org.
     
     
   The CFFO Commentary
   Title: Making a Public Investment in Air, Water and Wildlife
   By John  Clement
   June 13, 2008
     
   Most of us are familiar with the idea of making an investment in order to receive a greater return. But many of us think that principle only works for finances and don’t apply it to enhancing and improving the natural environment. 
     
   A small but dedicated group of individuals in Ontario ’s  Norfolk  County is working hard to change that way of thinking. Working on a project that provides financial incentives to local farmers to create projects to enhance the environment, they hope to sell the public on making an investment in clean air, water and wildlife habitat. The project started about six years ago and is part of an initiative called Alternative Land Use Services, or ALUS, for short. The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario has supported the concept for several years. 
     
   The Norfolk ALUS group has worked hard to assemble funds of close to $1 million from foundations, wildlife groups and government agencies. With that money, they’ve created an annual payment scheme for participating farmers ranging from $10 to $150 acre/year depending upon a host of factors. In addition, some farms can see a sharing of start-up costs of 50 to 75 per cent, a property tax rebate and advice on putting projects together. 
     
   A voluntary program, the Norfolk ALUS project had an early victory in restoring buffers to the South Creek Watershed. Approximately 30 different farms were identified by the Ministry of Natural Resources as priority sites due to the creek’s importance in providing water to a local town. Each of the landowners was approached in a farmer-to-farmer fashion and most chose the ALUS approach of annual payments of $150/acre/year over a three-year agreement. Quickly, the extent of the creek length buffered went from 36.4 per cent to 71.1 per cent --- about 25 acres for a three-year cost of only $11,126. 
     
   Since the time of the buffer project, the Norfolk ALUS group has started experimenting with native prairie grasses, habitat for native bees and other pollinators and plantings of trees in marginal lands. And the group’s efforts are starting to gain notice. At a meeting held last autumn, local politicians, former federal cabinet ministers, and organizational representatives were lining up at the podium to sing the praises of both the group and the ALUS concept. 
     
   Groups like those in  Norfolk  County deserve lots of praise and support for promoting the ALUS concept. Farmers control a good deal of land in this province and providing financial incentives can be seen as making a public investment in our natural environmental capital. Paying farmers to exercise good stewardship of the environment just makes a lot of sense. 
     
       
   
  John  Clement is the General Manager of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. The CFFO Commentary is heard weekly on CFCO Chatham, CKNX Wingham and CHOK Sarnia, Ontario and is archived on the CFFO website: www.christianfarmers.org/index.html. CFFO is supported by 4,353 family farmers across  Ontario . 
     
    Christian Farmers Federation of  Ontario
    7660 Mill Rd.
   RR 4  Guelph , ON   N1H 6J1  
   Ph: (519) 837-1620
   Fax:(519) 824-1835
   email: boconnor at christianfarmers.org
   web: www.christianfarmers.org 
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