Agricultural producers in Sarnia-Lambton are being given more incentives to establish ALUS conservation projects on their farms.
An Ontario Trillium Fund grant, announced Tuesday at a Churhill Line farm in Watford, will see nearly $700,000 split between Lambton, Middlesex, Chatham-Kent, Niagara, and Peterborough.
The ALUS program helps farmers and ranchers with things like restoring wetlands, reforesting, planting windbreaks, installing riparian buffers, managing sustainable drainage systems, and creating pollinator habitat.
Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Monte McNaughton says it's a great initiative.
"Tuesday's announcement was held at the farm owned by Mary-Ellen King and John King who are both very strong conservationists," says McNaughton. "In fact, their farm is home to wetlands that have an ever expanding ecosystem that's now providing a habitat for beavers, eagles, muskrats, turtles and other creatures. We definitely want to see more of that."
ALUS is described as community-developed and farmer-delivered.
It's currently active in 19 communities within six provinces, and is rapidly expanding.