Greencover Canada - Land Conversion

The Greencover Canada program is a five-year, $110-million Government of Canada initiative to help producers:

• improve grassland-management practices;
• protect water quality;
• reduce greenhouse-gas emissions; and
• enhance biodiversity and wildlife habitat.

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.

Eligibility Criteria

• Producers
• Industry
• Government
• Non-profit organizations*
• Cooperatives
• Incorporated environment groups
• Educational institutions

Eligible Activities

• the participant must be the registered landowner or entitled to become the registered landowner through contract or any other legal instrument, as indicated on the certificate of title, state of title certificate, certificate of possession, title of ownership, or deed (renters or leaseholders are not eligible for financial assistance);
• the land to be converted must meet program criteria based on land quality, land use, and an assessment of environmental sensitivity;
• the participant must agree to seed the land with approved perennial plants; and
• the participant must commit to maintain the land under perennial cover for 10 years once Greencover Canada determines the stand is established.

The deadline for submitting applications is January 31 of each year. The program ends March 31, 2008.

Deadline

2007-01-31

Summary

A national program, Greencover Canada has four components:

• land conversion -- converting environmentally sensitive land to perennial cover;
• critical areas -- managing agricultural land near water;
• technical assistance and regional technical assistance -- helping producers adopt beneficial management practices; and
• Watershed Evaluation of BMPs¹ (WEBs) and shelterbelts -- planting trees on agricultural land.

Land Conversion

What financial assistance is available?

If Greencover Canada approves the application, the landowner will receive two one-time payments² :

• $20 per acre for seeding or planting tame forage or trees and signing a Contribution and Land-Use Agreement, or $75 per acre for seeding native species and signing a Contribution and Land-Use Agreement; and
• $25 per acre after perennial cover is established, and after Greencover Canada inspects it and issues a Certificate of Stand Establishment (Greencover Canada will adjust this payment to account for any seeding overpayment).

Complete on-line forms instead of having to complete them by hand. The system does not, however, transfer the information on-line. After completing a form on-screen, it must be printed, signed and then mailed to the appropriate Greencover contact.

1 BMPs: Best Management Practices.
2 Greencover Canada must provide approval before seeding or planting begins.
*Note: "non-profit" also known as nonprofit organizations, non profit organizations, not-for-profit organizations, voluntary organizations and volunteer organizations.

New Brunswick Contact(s):
See National Contact.

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National Contact(s):
Greencover Program
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Toll-free (information): 1-866-844-5620
E-mail: greencover@agr.gc.ca
Web site: http://www4.agr.gc.ca/AAFC-AAC/display-afficher.do?id=1181580137261⟨=e
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Standard Time.