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A potash company is helping offset wetlands affected by one of its mines by making the largest payment in the province’s history.
K+S Potash Canada is making a $2.8 million offset payment to help restore and preserve wetlands around the province.
“You need to not only be profitable but you have to be environmentally sustainable and you need to have a social license from the people of the province,” Eric Cline with K+S said. “They expect that the environment is not going to be unduly harmed by industrial development and we support that.”
The agreement is based on a science-based formula developed by the Ministry of Saskatchewan along with Ducks Unlimited and K+S.
One-hundred-ninety-nine acres of wetlands near Bethune was affected by the mine site but the payment will restore 361 acres across Saskatchewan.
“What we will do is target these funds in areas where we’ve seen a lot of loss of wetlands so an opportunity is there for us to restore them,” said Trevor Plews, head of conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited Saskatchewan.
Plews said wetlands provide great biodiversity and a place for wildlife around the province.
He said there are many issues facing the wetlands, such as pressure to develop the land into urban and agricultural areas.
In parts around the province, 70 per cent of wetlands have been lost.
