WHEREAS the field access roads have been rendered inaccessible due to excessive moisture;

WHEREAS the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program only supports roads that have ditches; and

WHEREAS these roads with no ditches still have to be repaired to a reasonable state for the landowners to access their land;

BE IT RESOLVED that SARM petition these roads be deemed eligible for assistance under the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program.

Response from Honourable D.F. (Yogi) Huyghebaert, Minister of Corrections, Public Safety and Policing:

This resolution addresses eligibility under the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP) for field access roads with no ditches, which are used by farmers to access their land. Under the current regulations, PDAP can provide assistance for roads without ditches provided they are owned and maintained by the municipality. PDAP does not provide assistance for trails or accepted shortcuts, as they are not normally maintained.

Municipalities must ensure that they provide PDAP with all damage locations in order to assess their eligibility under the program. If municipalities have not identified these roads, they should contact the program immediately to do so.

If you have any questions, PDAP staff would be more than willing to assist you and can be reached directly at 1-866-632-4033.