Agriculture Minister Ernie Bridge today marked National Landcare Day by announcing the successful applicants for almost $251,000 in State Government grants for WA landcare projects.
The funds will be used for everything from equipment purchases to specific projects ranging from beach dune restoration at Yallingup to feral goat eradication in the Pilbara.
Agriculture Minister Ernie Bridge said the rural sector's enthusiasm for developing sustainable agricultural practices had not been dented by the tough economic times in the bush.
"Thousands of people from communities all over the State are participating in landcare activities to restore and protect our fragile environment," he said.
"In many cases, landholders are finding that by restoring the land and practising sustainable land use, they are turning liabilities into productive businesses."
He said landcare groups ranged from pastoralists trying to restore rangeland pastures to farmers and whole communities tackling degradation problems by activities, such as changing fertiliser use and management practices, tree planting and catchment-planning.
A total of 90 applications were received by the Soil and Land Conservation Council for the State Landcare Program grants, of which 45 received funding.
Most applications were for continuing projects previously funded by the program.
Some of the projects to receive funding include the Port Kennedy rehabilitation plan, revegetation of waterlogged and saline areas, surveyance of land for groundwater occurrance, and the Northam Education Park.
A range of demonstration farms also received funds, covering everything from the use of shelter belts on farmland, perennial pastures in the farm system, and run-off control as part of a farm plan, to salinity control and demonstrations of the various functions of trees in catchment planning.
The purchase of special equipment ranging from a saltbush seeding machine to a ripper-mounder machine was also funded.
Further information on specific projects is available from the Department of Agriculture.
