ALUS Conservation Program
WUQWATR is proud to be offering the ALUS program and working with local landowners to turn marginal farmland into productive ecosystems since 2015. ALUS is unique because the program is community-developed and farmer-delivered. ALUS recognizes the important role farmers and ranchers play as stewards of the land and empowers them to deliver nature’s benefit on the working landscape.
The ALUS-WUQWATR program has helped landowners in the watershed produce ecosystem services on their land to help create cleaner air, cleaner water, flood mitigation, carbon sequestration, protection for species at risk habitat and support for native bees and pollinators. This environmental stewardship program helps producers initiate projects on or adjacent to marginal or environmentally sensitive agricultural land. Examples of projects include restoring and enhancing wetlands, planting pollinator strips, installing wind breaks, planting tame or native forage, building exclusion fencing to help mitigate erosion and sediment loading downstream and more. WUQWATR staff work with each producer to provide the support and technical resources specific to their needs. This individualized approach allows for innovative and non-prescriptive solutions to environmental priorities on their lands.
ALUS-WUQWATR provides per-acre annual payments to recognize a participant’s dedication to managing and maintaining their projects over the course of the contract terms. Contracts are then up for renewal once expired so the landowner can continue to provide these ecosystem services if they choose to do so. Annual payments are based on the annual payment scheme approved by our PAC and are usually based on the average land rental rates in the local area. Annual payments start when work begins and continue as long as farmer maintains the project.
Click Here to download our ALUS-WUQWATR Program factsheet (PDF) and to find more details on annual payment rates.
If you are interested in initiating a project in the ALUS-WUQWATR program, or just looking for more information, please contact WUQWATR’s ALUS Program Coordinator, Justine Melo, at justine@wuqwatr.ca or by phone at 306-552-3560