What is ALUS?
ALUS stands for Alternative Land Use Services. ALUS is voluntary grant program for residents who use their land for agricultural production.
Types of ALUS projects include:
- Creating watering systems for livestock
- Creating fencing around water bodies/improving waterbody buffers
- Enhancing/expanding riparian areas (wet areas surrounding waterbodies)
- Restoring, creating or enhancing wetlands
- Housing bird nesting structures or other habitat structures
- Planting flowering plants for pollinator habitat
- Reforesting or enhancing tree stands
- Building multi-row shelterbelts of trees to protect fields from wind and snow
- Planting native grasses for forage or habitat
These projects transform marginal agricultural lands or environmentally sensitive lands into ecosystems that help improve water quality, mitigate flooding, capture carbon, pollinate crops, prevent erosion and more.
How does ALUS help agricultural producers?
ALUS helps agricultural producers in three ways:
- Identifies stewardship opportunities
- Shares infrastructure establishment costs (materials and labour) with the landowner/manager
- Ratio is typically 50/50
- Additional funding sources (e.g. Canadian Agricultural Partnership) can increase funding support for landowner/manager
- Provides annual payments for production of ecosystem goods and services
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- What are ecosystem goods and services? They are the benefits of a healthy and thriving ecosystem; cleaner water, cleaner air, habitat for wildlife, pollinators, reforestation, and much more.
For more information on the ALUS program, please refer to ALUS Canada.
How it works
Follow these six steps to start an ALUS project:
Step 1: Expression of interest |
| Complete the Expression of Interest form or call the ALUS Coordinator below to discuss your farm. |
Step 2: Site visit |
| The ALUS Coordinator will tour your project site and discuss project opportunities. |
Step 3: Project proposal |
| The ALUS Coordinator will create a project proposal and present it to the Partnership Advisory Committee (PAC) made up of local farmers and technical experts. The PAC will review and approve, decline or suggest changes to the proposal. |
Step 4: Environmental farm plan |
| The ALUS Coordinator will help you complete a short Environmental Farm Plan if needed. Not all projects require this step. |
Step 5: Term agreement |
| Once PAC approves the project, you will sign a flexible 5 to 10 year term agreement with the option for renewal. You can opt out at any time and payments will be adjusted accordingly. This contract will contain project details and the payments (project establishment costs and annual payment) that ALUS covers. |
Step 6: Approval |
| Once the project is approved by the Parkland County ALUS PAC, it is ready for implementation. The producer can begin installation and the ALUS Coordinator will be available to provide support throughout the project. |
Agricultural Producers
We're looking for agriculture producers who have properties that include:
- Watercourses in fields/pastures
- Steeply sloped crop lands
- Low wet fields and wetlands
- Highly erodible fields
- Small fields that can't handle farming equipment efficiently
Brochure
For more information, read our ALUS brochure.
2016 Shared Footprint Emerald Award
Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) communities in Alberta won the 2016 Shared Footprint Emerald award for their outstanding work in providing environmental stewardship services to agricultural producers. Learn more about the ALUS in Alberta Emerald Award.
Donate
The ALUS program creates benefits from nature for everyone:
- Clean water and air
- Erosion and flood control
- Habitat for pollinators, fish and wildlife
All donations support the protection and enhancement of environmentally significant and sensitive lands on private property. One hundred percent of your donation goes towards ALUS related projects. Charitable receipts are issued for donations of $100 or more.
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