Expanded ALUS Program

Submitted by Rideau Valley Conservation | Oct 16, 2024

After three successful seasons as ALUS Lanark, the environmental stewardship program for farmers will now be available to all agricultural properties within the Mississippi and Rideau watersheds.

The expanded ALUS Mississippi-Rideau program will help farmers complete ecosystem projects such as reforestation, windbreaks, riparian buffers, wetland projects, grassland and pollinator habitat, delayed cut/grazing, and clean water projects. Farmers are eligible to have project costs covered in part or in full, and they may be eligible to receive annual payments for the ecosystem services they’ve added to their property.

The program is jointly administered by Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) and the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) as part of their broader complement of stewardship programs and grants. Under ALUS Lanark, a total of 44 projects created 320 acres of habitat enhancements on 19 properties. By expanding the reach of the program, it will accelerate those successes and spread them across the region for the benefit of all.

The new ALUS Mississippi-Rideau program will cover 8,500km2 which encompasses 31 municipalities and is home to approximately 986,000 people. In this region, agriculture is the backbone of many local communities and farmers have been stewards of the land for generations. ALUS recognizes the value of their stewardship efforts and provides financial support to enable farmers to continue producing food and commercial goods while protecting and enhancing habitat, biodiversity and clean water.

MVCA’s General Manager said partnerships like this help farmers to pursue Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) and related projects during tough economic times. “Farmers know these projects can enhance their operations including water management, and ALUS makes it possible to make this investment.” said Sally McIntyre, MVCA’s General Manager.

“We’re thrilled to expand this partnership with ALUS to reach even more farmers across the watershed,” said Sommer Casgrain-Robertson, General Manager of the RVCA. “We’ve seen a steady uptake from Lanark farmers, and there is a growing interest across the watershed. We’re grateful to local farmers for all they do, so we’re excited to provide additional incentives so they can complete more conservation projects that improve the health of our watershed, our communities and local farmland.”

ALUS Mississippi-Rideau will continue to be guided in its decision making by a Partnership Advisory Committee (PAC) to ensure local priorities are addressed by approved projects. Fifty per cent of the committee are local farmers who, in partnership with the other committee members (local elected officials, environmental experts, etc.), will determine which projects are prioritized for ALUS funding.