This opinion piece by Gord Howe, a former manager of the Agroforestry Development Centre at Indian Head, first appeared in the Oct. 3 Manitoba Co-operator. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz’s response appears at the end of the piece
In April 2012, the federal government announced that it was axing the very popular Prairie Shelterbelt Program.
To date, the government has received more than 20,000 letters, phone calls and hundreds of petitions from upset tree planters. MPs have received numerous complaints as well.
Tree planting on the Prairies has always been a joint effort between landowners and the federal government. The government provides the tree seedlings and the farmer pays the shipping, planting and maintenance costs and provides the land. Landowners see few benefits for the first few years, but over the 50- to 100-year lifespan of the trees, shelterbelts benefit many generations and ultimately all people in Canada.
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Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and his departmental bureaucrats keep saying that trees have no value and aren’t needed anymore. Yet every schoolchild knows the multiple benefits of trees. In our carbon-fuelled society, trees are more important than ever. Although the role of trees in agriculture has changed over time, they are valuable for watershed protection, wildlife habitat, farmstead protection and snow management.
For the past year, a group of concerned citizens has tried to get the government to reconsider its decision. The group has collected petitions, done media interviews, set up displays at trade shows, met with politicians, bureaucrats and farm groups.
A coalition of agricultural associations from across the Prairies has formed and asked the government to lease the operations at the Indian Head Agroforestry Development Centre.
On May 3, Minister Ritz met with the coalition in Regina to discuss a lease arrangement and to arrange a smooth transition. Ritz stated that the Indian Head tree nursery would run as a viable operation to Dec. 31, 2013. He said applications would be received, summer and fall seeding would occur, and fall harvest would be done, while the coalition prepared a business plan and acquired funding.
However, a bureaucrat was sent out to negotiate a lease and all Ritz’s promises flew out the window. While politicians appear to be attempting to solve the “shelterbelt problem” that is causing so much grief, the senior official in charge of assets and other bureaucrats are just interested in selling off the tree nursery, not trying to ensure a smooth transition.
The past spring, five million seedlings were planted by 10,000 landowners. In addition, thousands of applicants never received the trees they requested, probably due to shortages of stock. Maybe the government is now recognizing how valuable and popular the tree-planting program was to Prairie people.
Field staff that are left at the nursery are trying valiantly to keep the seedling crops tended with the hope that the century-old operation will have a new life next year.
But what will happen?
Will the coalition be able to put together a viable business case?
Will Ritz keep the promises he made May 3?
Will the bureaucrats deliver on what the minister has promised, or will they continue to look to dump the property with no intention to assist in a successful long-term transition?
For the sake of future generations, let’s hope that everyone co-operates and a successful transition to a non-profit coalition occurs and this wonderful service to Prairie people continues for years to come.
Response by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz
Regarding the Oct. 3 opinion piece “Tree nursery rooted in uncertainty” our government has been clear that we are ending our involvement in Prairie Shelterbelt Program by Dec. 31, 2013 and that any future tree nursery operations need to be self-sustaining and not based on financial support from the federal government.
We have seen a number of interested parties come forward with their own business models for using the property to serve western Canadian producers and rural landowners, including a number of local agricultural associations.
While all acquisitions of government land are bound by Treasury Board processes, a short-term arrangement with the RM of Indian Head remains a viable option that would allow for ongoing harvesting and distribution in 2014 and fall planting.
All of these steps are being taken to ensure that all viable options remain on the table during the divestiture process. We will continue to work with groups that are serious about taking ownership of the facility at Indian Head.
