The Carrot Approach to Alternative Land Use Services

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Concerns of habitat loss, wildlife diversity, climate change and clean air and water are growing. Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) — originally a pilot project out of Manitoba — is a means of addressing these concerns through a program where private landowners are paid to maintain and improve the ecological goods and services on their land. This is particularly meaningful for farmers who are managers and owners of huge tracts of the landscape.

I spoke to Bryan Gilvesy, one of the first demonstration farmers with ALUS in his home county of Norfolk County, Ontario. Gilvesy spent time as the chair of the partnership committee. “ALUS started as an ecosystem-replacement program,” he explained, “but it’s morphed into something much more; it’s morphed into a great community mechanism.”

Since Gilvesy’s initial involvement with the organization in 2006, the project has expanded to include many provinces.

In this video, we talk to Sean McGrath, a producer in Vermilion County, Alta., and Bryan Gilvesy about ALUS, how the project has evolved and what it takes for a producer to become involved.

If you cannot view the embedded video, click here.

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