After a shaky start to last year, the Stanley Soil Management Association (SSMA) has mostly recovered.

At the group's recent AGM Technician Richard Warkentine explains their budget was cut by a third, noting the R.M of Stanley had decided to scale back support.

"We were quite disappointed," he says. "But we just kept hanging in there and focused on what we do well, which is planting shelterbelts."

A number of government grants also helped bring on student staff.

Since 1987 the not-for-profit group has offered environmental services such as sealing abandoned wells and planting and maintaining shelterbelts for the R.M of Stanley and surrounding area.

The association has planted 600 miles of shelterbelts since their inception. The trees provide natural soil and water retention.

Moving forward the R.M of Stanley has allocated $30,000 in its 2017 budget to create incentives for landowners to plant shelterbelts. The R.M is offering $500 for every half mile of trees planted.

Reeve Morris Olafson notes, unfortunately, older shelterbelts aren't being replaced as quickly as they're being dug up.

"The idea lets get back to planting trees," Olafson says. "If you go to the countryside you can see up to three or four miles in one stretch, and there isn't a single tree."

The Stanley Soil Management Association held their Annual General Meeting Tuesday, March 14 at the Pembina Threshermen's Museum Hall.

Keynote Speaker Sean Goertzen, Climate Initiative Coordinator for Keystone Agricultural Producers spoke on the upcoming carbon tax and how to protect competitiveness while rewarding practices that benefit the environment.