Two resolutions, on royalties on farm saved seed. E2-19 & 9-21 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada carried out consultations across Canada in 2018 on royalties and has yet to conclude which if any royalty collection system will be implemented. However they did open the door for industry lead initiatives. In February 2020 an industry lead seed …
Key Contact Program & Ag-Info Center Redesign
On January 14 a delegation consisting of Director Marcia Hewit Fisher and Executive Director Jake Kotowich from the Crop Health and Assurance Branch attended the regular ASBPC meeting to talk about the Key Contact program. The Key Contact program was started in 2009 when there was over 50 Agrologists and specialists within the Ministry to …
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Impacts of Changes in Alberta Agriculture and Forestry on ASBs
Feedback submitted on behalf of the 69 ASBs The ASB Provincial Committee was pleased to meet with Minister Devin Dreeshen on November 23, 2020. During the meeting the Minister encouraged the Committee to email him any concrete examples of issues that have arisen from the changes in the ministry. After seeking feedback from the ASBs …
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Public Lands Consultations Open to the Public
"Share your ideas to help shape the future of sustainable recreational Crown land use by January 15, 2021" On November 26, 2020 "Alberta's Crown land vision: our rich, natural heritage" was added to the Alberta.ca Open Government site. This 5 page document (with pictures) sets the stage for the public engagement that is currently underway. …
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NEW Civil Society Fund
One-time grant support for societies Yesterday the Alberta Government announced the Civil Societies Fund which "Organizations can apply for a one-time grant to support an effective and sustainable recovery of the civil society sector." The new fund has $20 million for expanding civil society capacity to address social problems, with $7 million earmarked for COVID-19 …
2021 Proposed Resolutions Posted
The 2021 resolutions passed at the regional conferences have been received by the ASB Provincial Committee, distributed to the ASBs and are now posted on the website. These resolutions are posted in the order they will be presented at the provincial conference on January 21. This year's conference will be virtual, and to help facilitate …
Committee Meets with Minister Dreeshen
On November 23 the ASB Provincial Committee was pleased to meet with Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Devin Dreeshen for a half hour virtual visit. After a brief apology for not being able to meet in person Dreeshen turned the meeting over to Committee Chair Corey Beck. After thanking the Minister for his letter of …
November 16, Organizational meeting
On November 16 the ASB Provincial Committee met for their organizational meeting. The agenda for November 16, and the 2021 Committee appointments are now posted. The October 9 minutes were approved and are now posted. As part of the meeting the Committee approved the Briefing to be sent to the Minister's office prior to the …
The Issue of Farm Saved Seed
Res. E2-19: No Royalties on Farm Saved Seed The federal government held consultations across Canada in 2018 to discuss the possibility of collecting Endpoint or Trailing royalties on farm-saved seeds. In 2015 the federal government made changes to the Plant Breeders Rights Act that brought Canada under the UPOV91. UPOV is the French acronym for …
Weeds and Highways
Resolution 1-17 Enforcement of the Weeds Act along highways in the province continues to be limited by provincial budget constraints. The proactive approach planned by the Ministry of Transportation has been put on hold and ASBs are not likely to see a blanket plan like the Integrated Vegetation Management Plan agreed on for 2017 to …
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