 .:SOURIS RIVER/LONG CREEK & FARM PROTECTION PROGRAM
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GLOBAL ACTIVITY: PHYTOREMEDIATION FORESTRY
PHYTOREMEDIATION: THE USE OF TREES AND OTHER PLANTS TO SOLVE A NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION.
PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM
To absorb nutrients from agro-chemical flows and urban effluent; bio-remediate landfill leachates including but not limited to heavy metals, hydrocarbons, chemical compounds and organic waste; reduce erosion and contain silt flows on stream margins; enhance biodiversity through the creation of wildlife habitat and wildlife corridors; carbon sequestration and oxygen production; landscape beautification; farmyard forestation strategies to lessen multiple contamination risks.
HOW THIS IS ACHIEVED ON THE FARM
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Planting multi-variety trees and grass along river and stream margins, marshes, dugouts, dams and lakes
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Farmyard shelterbelts and run off filters
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Forestry for hydraulic control to reverse soil salinity.
HOW THIS IS ACHIEVED WITH URBAN MUNICIPALITIES
HELP International partnership with urban municipality programming in the watershed includes:
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River and stream margin forestation
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Salinity control forestation around municipal lagoons
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Living landfill forest caps and forest filters
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Effluent irrigation woodlots
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Biodiversity forest blocks
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Tree seedlings planted and mulched with
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Grass seeded in the inter-row space
BENEFITS
Water protection, reduced erosion, increased bio-diversity and beautification.
Future industries for the farmer (native tree species can be harvested for health food and/or fruits. These include rose, saskatoon, buffaloberry, chokecherry, and many others). Other trees are being planted with wood harvesting in mind.
WHY THE PROGRAM IS POPULAR AND SUCCESSFUL
HELP's rural program was designed by farmers for farmers
The program offers more varieties of trees than have ever been available: 30 species of native trees. These include deciduous shrubs (Rose, Caragana, Dogwood, Hawthorne, Lilac, Red elder, Seabuckthorn, Shrub Willow, Wolf Willow), berry trees (Buffaloberry, Chokecherry, Saskatoon, etc.), large deciduous (Green ash, Aspen, Cottonwood, Poplar-Walker-Manitou-Assinaboia-Okanese-Northwest, Oak, Maple, Acute Willow, Red Cedar, Paper Birch, Russian Olive, Siberian Crabapple, etc.), and evergreens (Blue and White Spruce, Pine, and Larch.)
HELP employs the PFRA promoted four foot plastic mulch which is applied on top of trees at the time of planting to reduce ground surface evaporation and weed competition.
HELP has innovated several techniques and products to achieve near zero-maintenance forestation.
HELP Innovations include:
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Living Mulch between tree rows: HELP establishes creeping red fescue grass between tree rows as a living mulch to keep out higher water use and invasive weeds.
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At the same time, grass (typically creeping red fescue) is seeded between rows of trees as a living mulch. The high grass application rate (20lbs per acre) serves to create dense cover that will stop weed encroachment. The grass does not, however, compete with trees, as it becomes quickly root bound and goes dormant for most of the year.
HELP International provides:
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Assistance with land assessment and planting plans
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Land preparation advice
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Machinery (tree planter, mulch machine, grass broadcaster, harrows, quad)
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Delivery of trees, grass seed, and plastic mulch on the day of planting
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Free technical advice
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Experienced laborers
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Assistance with accessing free trees
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Supervision of the tree, mulching and grassing installations
HELP INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR
Stream Margin Forestation
Three row forest buffers have been planted along 220km of cultivated stream margins in seventeen municipalities on 195 farm properties. This is the largest program of its kind in Canada.
Effluent Irrigation Woodlots
HELP has installed the first four woodlots in Saskatchewan for community-wide effluent irrigation at Stoughton, Halbrite, Gull Lake and Carrievale.
Salinity Reversal Forestation
HELP has installed forest buffers around municipal lagoons to reverse spreading salinity at Radville, Craik, Halbrite, Stoughton, and other towns in the southeast.
In 2008 HELP carried out a 14,000 tree planting on a major saline creep below Poplar River Dam.
Living Landfill Caps
HELP has installed the first forestation landfill caps and landfill forest filters in Canada at the City of Weyburn, and towns of Halbrite, Stoughton, and others.
DONORS
This program has received generous technical, material, and start up financial support from Environment Canada, CARDS/AESI, Saskatchewan Environment, Pheasants Forever, Shand Greenhouse, Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, SaskEnergy, TD Friends of the Environment and other private donors.
Permanent tree donors include: Sask Power Shand Greenhouse and PFRA Shelterbelt Center.
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