WHEREAS Alberta Agriculture, Food & Rural Development currently provides bona-fide farmers with funding assistance toward the cost of permanent on-farm water supply developments through the Alberta Farm Water Program;AND WHEREAS the current application deadline for the program for projects completed between April 1, 2002 and November 30, 2002 is January 31, 2003;AND WHEREAS the current drought situation has financially affected farmers to a degree that they may no longer be able to participate in this program;AND WHEREAS there is a continuing need for on-farm water supply developments that reduce drought risk due to water supply or distribution problems;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties urge the Government of Alberta to commit to funding the Alberta Farm Water Program for an additional two-year period, and extend the program application deadline to January 31, 2005.

The Alberta Farm Water Program was developed to provide assistance toward the cost of permanent on-farm water supply developments during the period from January 1, 2001 to November 30, 2002. The program is available for bona-fide farmers or active producers with greater than $10,000 annual value of production.Payments under the program may be provided for permanent on-farm water supply developments which reduce drought risk due to water supply or distribution problems. Eligible projects could include: wells, stock watering dams, spring development, cisterns, buried pipelines, dugouts and remote water system components.Applicants under the program are eligible to receive one third of eligible water supply project costs, with the maximum payment of $5,000 per active producer.The Alberta Farm Water Program is administered by Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. Under the current program, projects completed between April 1, 2002 and November 30, 2002 must be postmarked or faxed on or before midnight, January 31, 2003.

Resolution 1-01F, endorsed by delegates to the Fall 2001 Convention, called for the Alberta Farm Water Program to be extended for at least one additional year beyond its original timeframe (to March 2003).