Farmers to Receive Flood Assistance

EMERGENCY MEASURES ORGANIZATION--Farmers to Receive Flood Assistance

Flood affected farmers in Nova Scotia will receive assistance from the province to repair damaged farmland.

The province is responding to requests from farmers to remove debris and repair the banks of rivers and streams that were damaged in the March floods. Many farms that border these watercourses suffered damage and farmers had applied to the province to do the work themselves.

"We believe that the best way to approach the debris removal and repair work within streams and rivers is to have government co- ordinate and lead the project," said Tim Olive, minister responsible for the Emergency Measures Act. "One step we are taking to do this is hiring qualified contractors to do the work."

The damage done to river banks was actually damage to crown land which makes it eligible for assistance from the federal government under the rules respecting repairs to provincial infrastructure.

Applications from farmers for assistance in replacing topsoil and removing debris from their land will be processed quickly so that work can begin as soon as possible.

The province's plan to restore the watercourses to pre-disaster condition will start immediately and will continue over the next several months.

The project will be a joint effort between the departments of Agriculture and Fisheries and Environment and Labour.