The Ecological Services Initiative’s (ESI) provincial conference was held in Langley on March 10 with the support of $4,000 in provincial government funding.
Langley MLA Mary Polak said that the Township of Langley has been chosen as one of the provincial sub-regions participating in an innovative program launched by the Langley Sustainable Agriculture Foundation, to work with farmers and ranchers to maintain and enhance ecological values on farmland.
“The Ecological Services Initiative is a new and innovative program that provides incentives for agricultural producers who contribute to a healthy ecosystem: clean water, fish habitat and species at risk,” Dave Melnychuk, president of the Langley Sustainable Agriculture Foundation, said.
“On behalf of the Langley Sustainable Agriculture Foundation, I would like to thank our MLA, Mary Polak, and the province of B.C. for being one of the co-sponsors of the conference on ESI held here in Langley.”
"Langley is a farming community experiencing increasing pressure from modern development,” Polak said.
“Farmers want sustainable operations and this project helps to provide the knowledge and support they need."
The ESI program focuses on water quality and quantity, biodiversity and species at risk, and carbon sequestration. Since most farmland in Langley is crossed by waterways, initiatives that focus on watersheds are important and serve to benefit agriculture and wildlife.
To learn more about the ESI program, visit: http://langleysaf.ca/