In doing this farmers have helped to protect ecosystems and species at risk from coast to coast - from wetlands in the east, to the burrowing owl in the west. There are two serious problems, however, with Canada's piecemeal approach to protecting species. The first is that many of farmers' stewardship efforts have been uphill struggles. Farmers' efforts have been discouraged, or even thwarted, by disincentives and the lack of positive incentives and assistance. The farmer who sets land aside for conservation purposes is still forced to pay tax on that land.
Policies encourage farmers to drain wetlands and to cultivate marginal lands.
Policies that benefit both the farmer and the environment are very hard for interested farmers to find. We're losing species far faster than we are saving them. In that time, a total of 10 species have deteriorated, and hundreds more have been added to the list. It has great potential to benefit them by supporting their stewardship efforts. It can build on farmers' voluntary conservation efforts, offering them long-overdue assistance and incentives for conservation.