More trees and better roads are promised for Saskatchewan residents in
2002.
Federal and provincial agriculture ministers Lyle Vanclief and Clay
Serby jointly made announcements March 26 in Saskatoon to offer more
shelterbelt trees to farmers and continue improving “grain-impacted”
roads.
Vanclief said the grain handling system has evolved into one with
fewer, larger grain elevators.
“It’s only a natural follow through that grain has to be trucked over
longer distances,” he said.
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The five-year $175-million Prairie Grain Roads Program, or PGRP, will
help ensure that farmers continue to ship products to their customers.
Saskatchewan roads will get $106.8 million.
“Grain roads are an essential part of the system and it’s essential to
keep them in the best shape possible,” Vanclief said.
Serby said most work in Saskatchewan will upgrade and enhance existing
roads, but some road sections could be converted to gravel.
Nineteen secondary highway projects have been approved for this year to
upgrade 322 kilometres of Saskatchewan roads. The federal contribution
is $24.8 million, with Saskatchewan matching that for a total cost of
$49.2 million.
In 2001, the first year of the federal-provincial-municipal cost-shared
program, 43 rural projects, 23 secondary highway projects and one urban
project were approved for 564 km of roads.
Manitoba will collect $34 million over five years, $32 million will go
to Alberta and $2.2 million is set aside for British Columbia.
The Shelterbelt Enhancement Program, or SEP, a $4 million five-year
program administered by the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration
in Indian Head, Sask., is part of the Canada Action Plan 2000 on
climate change.
Planting more trees is expected to help Canada meet its obligations
under the Kyoto Protocol. Canada agreed to reduce greenhouse gases by
six percent below 1990 levels.
SEP will build upon the centre’s existing shelterbelt program, which
helps plant more than 6,000 acres of shelterbelts across the West
annually.
Producers of primarily agricultural products, federal and provincial
departments, and rural landowners with holdings greater than 39 acres
are eligible to receive the free seedlings and trees. Applications are
now available from PFRA. The program will run from 2001 to 2006.
