NFU letter supportive of GROW Program

On June 19, 2019 the NFU sent the following letter to Hon. Rochelle Squires, Sustainable Development Minister for Manitoba

Dear Minister Squires,

The National Farmers Union (NFU) was pleased to hear the recent announcement of the new Growing Outcomes in Watersheds (GROW) Program that will provide a $52 million endowment to generate funds to support farmers’ efforts to protect and enhance the environmental values on their land. Farmers are on the front lines of the climate emergency – we need a favourable weather conditions to make a living each year. Intense storms, flooding and drought due to climate change can damage our farms and the public infrastructure we need to carry on our business. We are deeply committed to working on solutions that will reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions and make our farms more resilient to the unavoidable impacts of climate change.

The Growing Outcomes in Watersheds (GROW) Program is a step in the right direction to help Manitoba farmers become a bigger part of the climate solution by retaining wetlands, restoring wildlife habitat, taking care our creek beds and runs, preventing soil erosion and planting more trees. The NFU strongly supports measures to protect and enhance the health and biodiversity of our soils, farms and the province.

We look forward to participating in the GROW Program’s stakeholder engagement process, and look forward to productive discussions.

Sincerely,

Ian Robson, NFU Region 5 (Manitoba) Coordinator

CC:        Winnipeg Foundation; Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation; Rob Altemeyer, NDP Critic for environment and climate change