Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority Stewardship Land and Education Manager, Kate Monk, brought Huron County up to date on the county's Clean Water Project at this week's meeting.
The county is the major funder in the program, providing about 400-thousand dollars a year for projects that protect water and reduce erosion among other things.
Monk says the three most common project in the past year were tree planting, the new septic system category and erosion control.
Monk told councillors there are similar programs in other parts of the Province but the program in Huron County is unique, in part because of the uptake of landowners. She points out they still have first-time applicants because properties do change hands.
“We still have first-time applicants, as properties change hands, or things like that. But also we have a number of repeat customers and that's the importance of having a project that lasts for years because you can't do all projects in one year, so it's great that the program is there, that they can come back.”
Warden Jim Ginn, commented that there are about 25-hundred farmers in Huron County but the program has, so far, funded about 29-hundred projects, so clearly some people are using it for more than one project.
Monk adds part of the importance of the support the program gets from landowners is that Lake Huron is right here.
“This is a first-rate program and I think it's important in the uptake part as well because we have Lake Huron right here and we know all of the water ends up in Lake Huron, but we also have prime farm land too and people recognize the importance of conserving that farm land.”
