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AEPA FALL UPDATES STEWARDSHIP By Paul Jungnitsch, AEPA Project Coordinator Over the last few months, a number of speakers and wealth of informa on has come through the Agri-Environmental Partnership of Alberta (AEPA) that may be of interest to pulse producers. CAP and FEAP Funding Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AF) is keeping AEPA up to date on the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP), the replacement for Growing Forward 2. The Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change program supports the purchase of things like sec onal controls for sprayers and seeders, agricultural plas c bag rollers, as well as a number of ac vi es targe ng livestock producers (h ps://cap.alberta. ca/CAP/program/STEW_PROD). For this program a valid (under 10 year) Environmental Farm Plan is needed to apply. Other programs under CAP for producers include Farm Water Supply and Irriga on Efficiency, with more in development. Go to h ps://cap.alberta. ca/CAP/index.html and subscribe to get the latest news. In addi on to CAP, for those that plan to build or retrofit a shop or barn or have done so lately, the Farm Energy and Agri-Processing program (FEAP) rewards things like lights, furnaces, and insula on (h ps:// www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/general/ progserv.nsf/all/pgmsrv462) and the On-Farm Solar Photovoltaic program helps with the cost of solar installs (h p://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/general/ progserv.nsf/all/pgmsrv464). Neonico noids Alberta Agriculture and Forestry informed AEPA that the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada is planning on having a final decision on imidacloprid in September, and a dra review of clothianidin and thiamethoxam has been set for August. AF, with the support of funding from the Crop Sector Working Group (Alberta Pulse, Canola, Wheat, Barley and Sugar Beets) has con nued a monitoring program of neonic levels in the province. Sustainability The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI) is conduc ng two public trust research projects in 2018, with results that will be downloadable at www.foodintegrity.ca. Water There was further enlightenment around the regula ons affec ng water and wetlands from Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) that would be of special interest to crop producers. The Water Act, Wetland Policy, Public Lands Act and others all have requirements that farmers should be aware of, as well as exemp ons that can be useful. Water Act approvals deal with ac vi es in a water body. Both ac vi es and water bodies have very broad defini ons. Ditches are a common prac ce that need a Water Act approval, as well as pumping of low areas. Agriculture has exemp ons for fencing, landscaping, beaver dam removal, and dugouts under 2,500m 3 , however there are certain condi ons that need to be met for the exemp ons to apply. More informa on can be found at h p://aep. alberta.ca/water/legisla on-guidelines/ water-act.aspx. Water Act licenses deal with consump ve use of water. A Temporary Diversion license is one example, an online process good for one year (h p://aep.alberta.ca/water/forms- applica ons/online-applica on-for- a-temporary-diversion-licence.aspx). Agriculture has a certain amount of exemp on for household and agricultural use, however there are certain condi ons that need to be met for the exemp ons to apply. It can be more complicated in closed basins like the South Saskatchewan. The Wetland policy adds addi onal considera ons to wet areas, and it is important to know that from a regulatory point of view, wetlands don't have to be wet. AEP iden fies them based on vegeta on and soils, not what their water state is at the current me. The policy requires that wetlands which are to be drained or have dugouts placed in them to have assessments completed (ABWRET-A or ABWRET-D) and replacement values paid. More informa on on the Alberta Wetland Policy can be found at h p:// aep.alberta.ca/water/programs-and- services/wetlands/alberta-wetland- policy.aspx. Wetland policy ques ons can be emailed to aep.wetlands@gov. ab.ca. The Public Lands Act is an addi onal factor to be aware of as it grants the crown ownership of the bed and shore of all permanent and natural water bodies. It is important to note that the purpose of the Water Act is a balance between the environment and economic growth/prosperity. AEP has offered to work with AEPA to help explain these requirements and has been working on a guide for le drainage, surface drainage, and dewatering. The Water Working Group of AEPA has emphasized the importance of agriculture iden fying and building what it needs to ensure access to water and water management in the long term. 3 0

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