Agriculture-wildlife conflict strategy proposal posted for comments

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

Farmers have until April 11 to comment on the Ontario government’s proposed agriculture-wildlife conflict strategy.

Peter Jeffery, a senior researcher in the Farm Policy Group of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, said the OFA board “hasn’t taken a formal position on the discussion paper.”  However, he said, they meet March 15 and 16 and a response could come out of that meeting.

The proposed strategy is part of the implementation of the province’s Strategy for Preventing and Managing Human-Wildlife Conflicts in Ontario (2008) also incorporating initial feedback received through consultations held in 2010.

Suggested revisions include:

• increasing maximum compensation values for farmers;
• expanding the compensation eligibility for livestock damage to beehives and related equipment to include skunks, raccoons and deer;
• removing proposed requirements for repeat claimants to enroll in a mandatory workshop;
• phasing in requirements for producers to have a valid premises ID;
• and eliminating the requirement that producers file an affidavit with the municipality to file a claim.

Money would be made available for groups to enhance or develop best management practices related to agriculture-wildlife conflicts. Funding for the overall program would be cost-shared between the Ontario and federal governments and no premiums or administrative fees would be charged to producers under the program. BF