News release
BACKGROUNDER
GREENCOVER INITIATIVE
Greencover is a $110-million national initiative to promote sustainable land use and expand the area covered by perennial forages and trees by up to 1.6 million hectares over five years. The benefits would include economic production alternatives for farmers, land conservation; improved grassland management, protection of water quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and enhanced biodiversity and habitat.
The broad funding components of the Greencover program are $100 million for the Permanent Cover component and $10 million for the Shelterbelts component. The emphasis and targets for the program components will be developed in consultation with industry, non-government organizations and other partners.
The Permanent Cover component would encourage landowners to convert marginal cultivated land to permanent cover and to manage existing forage lands and critical habitat areas in a more sustainable manner. This would maximize environmental benefits to Canadians by increasing carbon sequestration in the soil (carbon held in the soil does not become a greenhouse gas); protecting the land from wind and water erosion; preserving water quality; and improving the habitat for wildlife, which in turn enhances biodiversity.
Elements of the Permanent Cover component could include:
- Conversion: To convert cultivated land that is economically
and/or physically marginal and/or environmentally sensitive to permanent cover;
- Technical Assistance: To inform producers of, and to accelerate
the adoption of, best management practices;
- Critical Areas: To protect water quality by enhancing riparian areas (land bordering waterways) and/or critical wildlife habitat.
The Shelterbelt component would encourage the planting of trees in rows on agricultural land. Shelterbelts on agricultural land are potential biological sinks, remove and store atmospheric carbon, provide wildlife habitat, shelter soil and water resources, and protect roads and buildings. By providing protection from the wind and controlling snow distribution, shelterbelts can reduce energy requirements for snow removal and winter heating.
Elements of the Shelterbelt component could include:
- Shelterbelt establishment: Provision of material and financial
assistance to establish multi-use shelterbelts.
- Technical assistance: Provision of information on tree
planting designs and technologies to maximize uses, growth, performance and
longevity.
- Research: Enhancement of tree improvement and plant performance research to ensure genetic material is being developed that is adapted to a changing climate.
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