March 2 2011 Saskatchewan Food Summit TCU Place

March 2, 2011 Saskatchewan Food Summit TCU Place, Saskatoon SK Advisory Planning Commission Planning and Food Production in Rural Saskatchewan By Adam Toth B. A.

General Topics 1. What is Water. Wolf? 2. Why is Land Use Planning Important for Food Production? A) Intensive Livestock Development B) Grain Farming 3. Why is Infrastructure Planning Important for Food Production? A) Roads B) Water C) Waste Water 4. Solutions 5. Conclusions

1. What is Water. Wolf?

Water. Wolf • Advisory Planning Commission • Long term land use planning (Official Community Plans /Zoning Bylaws) • Capacity building at regional level • Partnerships to ensure source water protection • Move local municipalities to evidence-based decisions • Transparent framework for investment

The Water. Wolf Planning District

Successes to Date • Advisory planning commission 15/06/2010 • Lake Diefenbaker Tourism Destination Area Plan (partnership – Tourism Sask) • Highway #219, Saskatoon – L. Diefenbaker, Tourism corridor • Chief Whitecap Trail 10/06/2009 • Currently working on a regional Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaws for 37 municipalities ready for adoption next year

Limiting Factors • Live in land of primary agriculture • Fear of urbanization • Change is bad, always • Usually associated with a CAVE (citizens against virtually everything)

Benefits • Setting a new model for Planning in the Province • Generates visions to see progress where none exists • The only option to move forward • A land use plan that will guide development for the region for the next 20 -30 years

The Players Federal Government - Funding Provincial Government – Facilitation Municipal Government – Administration of new bylaws Land Owners – Want to know where developments will take place so they are not negatively affected Developers – Want to know which geographic areas they can invest in without conflict Business and Industry

Our Business Plan • Creation of Growth Management Plan and consistent Zoning Bylaws • Provide planning services to member municipalities • Common table for regional services • Develop capacity for the region • Develop partnerships for the region • Develop professional relationships (ie engineers, GIS Mapping technicians) • Realize that growth can exist in Rural as recreational communities around Lake Diefenbaker

Our Current Marketing Plan • • • Todays presentation Value for dues, to our member municipalities Sell the model to government Provide one stop shop for developers High profile in the province

Operating Plan • Work with Saskatchewan Ministry of Municipal Affairs • Focus on WWGMP (District Official Community Plan), in house wherever possible • Identify roadblocks • Look after municipal needs FIRST • Fee for service, thin staff model, contracting • Master Plan for Lake Diefenbaker, start with DPP

Financial Plan • Stable billing to municipal members • Partnership development Contract work • Continue to lobby for core funding - province

Management and Organization • • • Ten person executive board, broadly based Quarterly full commission mtgs. (mobile) Tight relationship with key players (Whitecap, LDT) Relationship building – line depts. , Crowns, Continually press the envelope

The Challenge "Would you tell me which way I ought to go from here? " asked Alice. "That depends a good deal on where you want to get, " said the Cat. "I really don't care where" replied Alice. "Then it doesn't much matter which way you go, " said the Cat. 1 1. Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865), novelist and poet (1832 -1898).

The Wall • Water. Wolf has approx. 270 councilors • In any one year, 45 – 170 are up for election • Consensus is a challenge • Educating councils on the benefits of Water. Wolf and why they should belong is Mount Everest

The Way Forward “Growth is inevitable and desirable, but destruction of community character is not. The question is not whether your part of the world is going to change. The question is how. ” 2 2. Edward T. Mc. Mahon, The Conservation Fund.

2. Why is Land Use Planning Important for Food Production?

Generally stated “Land Use Strategies are intended to identify attainable conservation objectives and to minimize conflicts of interest. ” 3 3. David Anderson & Richard Grove, Conservation in Africa – People, Policies, and Practice, (New York, Cambridge University Press, 1987), 95.

A) Intensive Livestock Operation Development Intensive Livestock Production has become increasingly intensive, mechanical, and requires more land than ever before.

Quote from the Alberta Beef Producers “Although feedlots can range in size from a capacity of few hundred head to almost 40, 000 cattle at one time, the larger-sized feedlots now finish the majority of cattle in Alberta. About 100 feedlots with capacities over 1, 000 head produce at least 75 per cent of the finished beef cattle in the province. ” 4 4. Alberta Beef Producers, http: //albertabeef. org/industry/beef-production-chain/, accessed February 2, 2011

This means: If location of these developments are not planned in appropriate areas, landowners could be affected by noise, pollution, decreased land values, and overall, a decrease in quality of life. Since new food production facilities create a larger footprint, more of the environment and population will be affected.

Developers and investors want to make sure they can go where conflict will not arise • Case in point: 36, 000 head proposed feedlot in the RM of Rudy

RM of Rudy worked with us on identifying Intensive Livestock Areas The RM held a public meeting, very few ratepayers were present Developers take these identified sites for true value, ie. if this is an identified area for a feedlot, the feedlot developer is going to assume they can develop feedlots in that area Currently there is a court battle due to ratepayers’ dissatisfaction with feedlot location Rural Planning in Saskatchewan is relatively new and needs to be taken seriously so events like this can be prevented or limited

So Why the Court Battle? Intensive Livestock production emits waste products harmful to the environment, and noxious to the public. Now that they are larger than ever, this impact will be greatly increased.

Also • Since Lake Diefenbaker is our tourism opportunity, it needs to be protected • If consistent and appropriate setback distances are included in zoning bylaws, the environmental impact will be reduced

Intensive Livestock Operation Setback Distances So Far: Type of Development 100 -299 Animal Units Single family dwelling not owned by the ILO operator, tourist accommodation or campground No requirement Town of Davidson, Girvin or Multi-parcel Country Residential Acreages 1600 (1 mile) 300 -499 Animal Units 500 -1000 Animal Units 1600 meters 3. 2 kilometers (1 mille) (2 miles) 1600 meters 4. 8 kilometers (1 mile) (3 miles) meters

By Using Ratios 1000 A. U. /3. 2 kms = 36, 000 A. U. /X X therefore = 115. 2 kms!!!

Fact is, this set back would be unrealistic. Thankfully there are newer technologies to reduce these odours. Still though, what would that optimal distance be? Planning needs to happen When people are informed and educated, development can go ahead smoothly. Process

B) Grain Farming Like Intensive Livestock Operation Development, Grain farming is ever increasing in size. Farmers are purchasing huge areas of land that may be affected by farming practices (ie. Heritage, environmentally sensitive lands, etc. ). When no planning exists and the farmer owns the land, he/she can do what they want. Case in point, the caragana tree issue in the RM of Fertile Valley.

Developer came in, bought land, and started tearing up caragana trees. Rate payers relied on these for aesthetic look and weather/wind proofing. If these could have been identified on a map, with provisions for environmental/heritage protection, this event could have been prevented.

3. Why is Infrastructure Planning Important for Food Production?

A) Roads Road transportation is the most common method of moving product from place of origin to place of distribution. Trucks and heavy haul vehicles are very destructive on all types of roads, causing extensive maintenance cost. With Farm size increasing, load size, and truck size are also increasing. RM councils need to be aware of the impacts these types of developments could have on their roads. They also need a plan.

Working with other RM’s is crucial to the planning process as it makes road prioritizing easier. Having one section of road as primary haul in one municipality, may not be primary or have the need for primary in a neighboring municipality. Making adjacent municipalities aware of large farm developments is a good start, and then road prioritizing. Cost sharing is also important as the benefits of a well planned, and invested road will far exceed the costs.

B) Water Food Production is also demanding more water than ever before due to irrigation for large scale production. “Approximately 45 per cent of the province's population relies directly or indirectly on the water supply of the South Saskatchewan River. ” 5 Water use needs to be planned and rationed appropriately. How can we accomplish this? 5. Ministry of Agriculture, http: //www. agriculture. gov. sk. ca/Default. aspx? DN=9 a 3 dbb 08 -1 ece 45 a 2 -ae 2 e-570 ba 5 b 479 ad, Accessed February 23, 2011

Grey water recycling Consider new residential developments that recycle shower water, washing machine water, etc. Rainwater storage Ver. Eco Homes – at Prairieland Park This would at least start to reduce 100% reliability on source water for irrigation

C) Waste Water can destroy a food supply if not managed properly. Leaking septic tanks can bring toxins to the surface thus destroying fields. Waste Water from Intensive Livestock Operations (especially large scale) is very toxic.

Seepage systems can cause bacteria to move laterally and rise to the surface. This will impact what types of crops you are allowed to plant. It also could move laterally into a well (for human or livestock or animal consumption) and thus again, total Coliform, E-coli, Streptococcus, etc. bacteria can be evident in effluent that comes from the seepage or septic or lagoon systems. Underground leakage could get into streams and create algal blooms and conditions that would contaminate the water and thus not be useful for irrigation.

Are there better, more efficient ways to manage waste water food production?

Eco. Libra Systems

4. Solutions

a) By working regionally, we can make better decisions on food production development. b) Farms are becoming larger, therefore the governing force needs think regional and co-operatively. c) Identifying land uses (both current and future) on maps is essential for reducing land use conflict. d) Rate payers need to know where developments are planned to exist. e) There are exciting new options for infrastructure which will limit health concerns and ensure environmental sustainability.

5. Conclusions

• Investors in food production need a clear, transparent plan for the region so that they can evaluate their investment in the context of surrounding development. • We have a long way to go in building capacity in the region in terms of technical and professional staff which can provide the background for evidence based decisions.

For More Information Please Visit www. waterwolf. org

Thank You!

Bibliography Alberta Beef Producers, http: //albertabeef. org/industry/beef-productionchain/, accessed February 2, 2011. Anderson, David & Grove, Richard, Conservation in Africa – People, Policies, and Practice, (New York, Cambridge University Press, 1987), 95. Carrol, Lewis, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865), novelist and poet (1832 -1898). Mc. Mahon, Edward T. , The Conservation Fund. Ministry of Agriculture, http: //www. agriculture. gov. sk. ca/Default. aspx? DN=9 a 3 dbb 08 -1 ece 45 a 2 -ae 2 e-570 ba 5 b 479 ad, Accessed February 23, 2011.