Read the 14 news releases from Manitoba’s watershed districts
Read the news release from the Manitoba Association of Watersheds:
Winnipeg, MB (July 23, 2020) — Ray Frey saw the devastation first-hand after a series of intense thunderstorms blasted south-west Manitoba earlier in July, sending power-surged water cascading across fields, farms, communities and waterways. Frey believes things need to change and working with land managers and farmers to improve watershed health is a critical solution for the resiliency of Manitoba agro-lands and communities going forward.
That’s why you can count Ray Frey among those impressed by the Province of Manitoba’s $5.6 million announcement yesterday of 20 successful project proposals, 16 of which will be funded by the new GRowing Outcomes in Watersheds (GROW) Trust that will set sights on “farming the best, conserving the rest”.
“We are rolling the dice with these weather systems,” says Frey, chair of the Manitoba Association of Watersheds. “The GROW Trust funding is unprecedented in Canada. It empowers us to work with producers and promote practices that build resilience and benefit society. We need to maintain water storage capacity on the land.”
GROW is locally led by producers in partnership with watershed districts. It focuses on watershed health, management and resiliency. When matched with the funding and in-kind amounts provided by the Watershed Districts the new projects represent more than $14.7 million for the improvement of watershed health across the province.
“The intent of the GROW Trust funding is to support annual payments to producers to help reduce flooding and drought vulnerability and improve water quality and nutrient management in rural Manitoba,” says Frey. “Led on the ground by Manitoba’s 14 watershed districts and supported by the Manitoba Association of Watersheds, GROW will promote the restoration and enhancement of wetlands, uplands and riparian areas in rural Manitoba. Watershed District managers will work with local producers to develop projects that improve the environment by providing financial incentives.”
Frey said the early-July storms hit hard around his Riding Mountain National Park-area home and the nearby Little Saskatchewan River. The damages included washed out roads, flooded homes and towns, stranded cow herds and mandated evacuations around stressed existing water infrastructure on the agriculture-based areas north of Brandon. Over time, GROW will help alleviate such flooding by adding above-ground vegetation, increased organic matter and intact wetlands.
“We are making investments in watersheds today that will provide environmental benefits for decades to come,” said Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Blaine Pedersen. “Local expertise, the commitment of landowners and the support of our partners will help ensure these projects protect our water quality, sustainably manage our natural resources, and leave a sustainable legacy for all Manitobans to enjoy.”
The funding announcement builds on the Manitoba government’s commitment to climate-change adaptation and resilience identified under the Water Pillar in Manitoba’s Climate and Green Plan. The GROW Trust joins the now-two year old Conservation Trust as Manitoba Climate and Green Plan Initiatives. The Province has taken a unique approach to provide permanent funding for critical conservation projects by contributing $204 million for new endowment funds with The Winnipeg Foundation. Investment revenues are granted to Manitoba groups through a process administered by Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation. Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development staff lead program development and coordination with the Watershed Districts.
For more information, the Manitoba Association of Watersheds is available via messaging our Facebook page or commenting here.
For more information:
Sean Goertzen, Manitoba Association of Watersheds, executive.director@manitobawatersheds.org, 204.570.0164
Tim Sopuck, Conservation and GROW Trusts, tsopuck@mhhc.mb.ca, 204.793.4107
GROW Backgrounder
Identified under the Water Pillar in Manitoba’s Climate and Green Plan, GRowing Outcomes in Watersheds (GROW) is a way of encouraging the delivery of ecological goods and services (EG&S). GROW promotes conservation of natural areas or changes to land uses that provide EG&S by helping farmers develop projects that maintain or improve local watershed health and work for their operations.
GROW is a made-in-Manitoba program on working lands that focuses on “farming the best, conserving the rest.” With a focus on watershed health, management and resiliency, GROW will help reduce flooding and drought vulnerability and improve water quality and nutrient management in Manitoba.
The GROW program will be delivered by watershed districts in partnership with landowners, non-government organizations, and all levels of government. These partnerships will be formalized as Local GROW Committees and guided by the provincial requirements for GROW.
What is GROW?
GROW is developed on seven guiding principles and provides incentives for the delivery of EG&S on private lands in Agro-Manitoba.
GROW is targeted, watershed-based approach to delivery – Projects will be implemented on a watershed basis, according to the principles, objectives and outcomes of GROW. Eligible projects will be limited to working lands within Agro-Manitoba. Each project will address provincial outcomes and target prioritized actions in integrated watershed management plans.
Priority Outcomes: improved watershed resilience to the impacts of a changing climate (e.g., extreme weather events, drought, flooding) • improved water quality (e.g., improved nutrient management)
Co-Benefit: improved on-farm water management • enhanced sustainable agricultural production • improved biodiversity and habitat • carbon sequestration and storage
Funding Support
The Province of Manitoba has endowed $204 M with The Winnipeg Foundation, made up of $102M in The Conservation Trust (2018-19), $52M in The GROW Trust (2019-20), and $50M in The Wetlands GROW Trust (2019-20).
Annual interest generated from the three Trusts will be used to fund local GROW programs that provide ecological goods & services (EG&S) to Manitobans.
The GROW Trust and The Wetlands GROW Trust are unique funding opportunities for Watershed Districts as both allow districts to recognize producers, through an annual payment, that are willing to set aside lands or change management practices and offset farm profit for the value of the ecological goods and services for society.
Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation (MHHC) administers and disburses revenues from the Trusts through a proposal-based granting process.
Watershed districts will deliver GROW and annually apply for funding from the Trusts to support Local GROW Programming.
GROW Programs
Incentives to landowners include cost-shared support for project establishment (e.g., small dams or off-site watering systems) and/or annual incentive payments for land enrolled in the program (e.g., annual incentive payments for Class 1 and 2 wetlands on cultivated land).
GROW is delivered by watershed districts in cooperation with producers and Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development. It focuses on watershed health, management and resiliency.