News release

FACT SHEET

May 2003

Greencover Canada's Land-Conversion Component
Converting environmentally sensitive land to perennial cover

The environment is a priority

Canadians expect all economic sectors, including agriculture, to do their part to protect the environment—and the agricultural industry understands that environmental stewardship is key to both long-term sustainability and profitability.

Producers are working with governments to strengthen their longstanding tradition of carefully managing the environment. Through the Agricultural Policy Framework (APF), new programs will build on these existing strengths to enhance air, water, and soil quality, and to improve the ability of the agricultural sector to coexist with the natural environment in a sustainable way.

The objectives of Greencover Canada

The Greencover Canada program is a five-year, $110-million Government of Canada initiative to help you, as a producer, improve your grassland-management practices, protect water quality, reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, and enhance biodiversity and wildlife habitat.

A national program, Greencover Canada focuses on four components:

land conversion - converting environmentally sensitive land to perennial cover;
critical areas - managing agricultural land near water;
technical assistance - helping producers adopt beneficial management practices; and
shelterbelts - planting trees on agricultural land.

How does the land-conversion component work?

The land-conversion component will provide you with advice and financial incentives if your application to convert environmentally sensitive land to perennial cover is approved.

Who can participate?

You are eligible to participate in the program if:

you are the registered landowner, as indicated on the certificate of title, state of title certificate, certificate of possession, titles of ownership, or deed (renters or leaseholders are not eligible for financial assistance);
the land you want to convert meets program criteria based on land quality, land use, and an assessment of environmental sensitivity; and
you agree to seed your land with approved perennial plants, and to enter into a 10-year land-use agreement.

What kinds of land are eligible?

To qualify under this program, your land must:

have been used for annual crop production as of July 1, 2002;
have severe limitations for growing annual crops; or
have the potential for severe degradation due to wind or water erosion, salinization, or loss of organic matter.

Note

Forage stands that are already established are not eligible under the Greencover Canada program.

How much land can you convert?

The minimum amount of land that Greencover Canada will consider for conversion is 40 adjacent acres on the same quarter section or parcel of land. For each quarter section, you must submit a separate application form.

You can apply to convert multiple quarter sections of land. Greencover Canada will approve up to a maximum of 640 acres. Once you have established all or part of this 640-acre maximum and Greencover Canada has inspected it, you can submit additional applications.

How is your land determined to be "environmentally sensitive"?

Greencover Canada will review your proposal by assessing the proposed parcel of land against a farmland-specific environmental sensitivity index. This index considers soil quality, air quality, landscape drainage patterns, proximity to water, and contributions to wildlife habitat and biodiversity. If your land has a higher environmental-sensitivity rating, Greencover Canada will consider it a higher priority for funding.

What kinds of perennial cover can you use?

To qualify for payment, Greencover Canada requires a certificate of seed analysis, which states you have met the minimum standards for seed selection, quality, seeding rate, and method.

The minimum acceptable seed quality is Canada Common #1. Seed must be free of downy brome, Japanese brome, hairy chess, cheat grass, leafy spurge, rattail fescue, and any restricted species listed in the Canada Seeds Act and the applicable provincial noxious weed act. Because of their tendency to spread, do not seed crested wheatgrass and smooth bromegrass within three-quarters of a kilometre of existing native rangeland. For trees and shrubs, the plant material must be adapted to the area and be long-lived.

Long-lived perennial species, such as forage, shrubs, and trees, should make up at least 75% of the seed mix. These perennial species can include certain tame forage and native seeds. For information on suitable species, please see the standards outlined in some provincial forage guidelines or the Greencover Canada Forage Selection Guide, which is available from Greencover Canada on-line at www.agr.gc.ca/greencover-verdir or by calling 1-866-844-5620.

Where available, Greencover Canada strongly encourages you to purchase forage establishment insurance.

Note

Perennial short-term rotational crops, such as alfalfa for dehydration production, are not eligible under the program. In addition, the production of forage seed is not an eligible activity.

What financial assistance is available?

If Greencover Canada approves your application, you will receive two one-time payments:

$20 per acre for seeding or planting tame forage or trees, or $75 per acre for seeding or planting native species; and
$25 per acre after you establish the perennial cover, after Greencover Canada inspects it, and after you sign the 10-year land-use agreement (Greencover Canada will adjust this payment to account for any seeding overpayment).

Do you have to sign a land-use agreement?

When you accept a seeding payment, you are making a commitment to enter into a land-use agreement with the Government of Canada. The agreement outlines your commitment to maintain perennial cover on the land during the 10-year term of the agreement.

If you later ask to terminate the land-use agreement, you will have to repay some or all of the funds that you have received under the Greencover Canada land-conversion program. If you do not sign the land-use agreement, you will have to repay any funds you received for seeding.

What is the application deadline?

The program runs for four years, from 2003 to 2006. The deadlines for submitting applications are as follows:

For 2003 only, the deadline is August 1, 2003.
For each year after that, the deadline is January 31.
The final application deadline for the program is January 31, 2006.

In 2003, because of the later deadline, you will receive approval after you seed or plant. Greencover Canada will review your application for the forage crops you seeded in the spring of 2003 to determine whether you are eligible. Please keep in mind that all applications must meet the Greencover Canada program eligibility requirements to be approved and to receive payment.

For subsequent years, you will need to receive Greencover Canada approval before you seed or plant to be eligible for funding.

How to apply

Use a separate application form for each quarter section or parcel of land. To complete it, see the Greencover Canada Forage Selection Guide for a list of suitable forage species in your area, which is available either on-line at www.agr.gc.ca/greencover-verdir or by telephone at 1-866-844-5620.

Where to send your application

Send your completed application form by mail to:

Greencover Canada, Land Conversion
408-1800 Hamilton Street
Regina, Saskatchewan
S4P 4L2

To submit your application in person, please call 1-866-844-5620 for the regional office location nearest you.

After you receive approval

You will receive a letter from Greencover Canada indicating whether or not your application is approved. With your letter of approval, you will also receive a seeding completion agreement, program terms and conditions, and a sample land-use agreement. Greencover Canada encourages you to review these documents with your lawyer.

If you agree with the program terms and conditions and the seeding completion agreement, complete your seeding or planting and sign and return the agreement with the certificate of seed analysis. When it receives the signed seeding completion agreement and the certificate of seed analysis, Greencover Canada will issue the initial seeding payment.

After one complete growing season, an official designated by Greencover Canada will conduct an inspection to ensure the perennial cover is established. Once the stand is determined to be established, a land-use agreement will be sent to you for your signature. After you sign the land-use agreement, you will receive the second payment.

For more information

For more information on Greencover Canada, and for a copy of the application form, visit our Web site at www.agr.gc.ca/greencover-verdir, or call 1-866-844-5620.

For more details on the Agricultural Policy Framework (APF), please call:

Toll-free telephone: 1 800 O-Canada (1 800 622-6232)
Teletypewriter (TTY) for hearing- and speech-impaired clients: 1 800 465-7735

You can also visit our Web site at www.agr.gc.ca/puttingcanadafirst for details on the APF.

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