Standard 8: Evaluating and Selecting Conservation Projects
The land trust carefully evaluates and selects its conservation projects.
Background
Having choices about which land protection projects to undertake may seem like a luxury. Many land protection projects are done under great time pressure; the tendency is to protect now, think later. Sometimes that is inevitable. Yet unless the land trust exercises care in reviewing all of its projects, it may find itself with a property or a conservation agreement that serves little public interest, is costly to manage or defend, or does not fit with the land trust’s mission. Every land trust must find a balance between being strategic and being opportunistic. Land trusts that focus on their strategic priorities typically find that they can raise more funds and protect more land. These land trusts work with their partners to develop conservation priorities appropriate for their community. A land trust that does not prioritize and carefully select its projects may open itself to public criticism, credibility issues and even legal problems. In order for land conservation to maintain public credibility, it is essential that all land trusts carefully screen projects for the public benefit that will be provided. Once projects are selected, the land trust must determine how best to protect a given property’s resources. For each property, sufficient information must be gathered to make sound judgments and avoid unacceptable risks.
Relevant Law
- Land Title Act, RSBC 1996, c. 250, s. 219:
- Receiver General – to hold Covenants in BC:
- Income Tax Act, SC 1985, c. I, s. 149.1 (6.3);
see also Canada Revenue Agency policy interpretations at
- Environmental Management Act, SBC 2003, c. 53, s. 40
- Contaminated Sites Regulation, BC Reg. 375/96, as am., s. 3.
- Canada Revenue Agency policy interpretation of Income Tax Act, SC 1985, c. I;
see Income Tax Technical News No. 26 at:
PRACTICE
E. Documenting Conservation Values
The land trust documents the condition of each property and the important conservation values and public benefit of each property, in a manner appropriate to the individual property and the method of protection.
Background
The conservation values on a property are the basis for its protection. The land trust must identify and document the conservation values of each property it protects for several reasons: to clarify the benefit to the public; to determine whether the property is significant enough to warrant the land trust’s involvement; to decide how best to protect the property; to establish a baseline of the land’s condition; and to defend the property over time from conflicting land use activities. It may not be possible to document and protect every conservation value on a property—thus it is important that the land trust identifies the most important conservation values in keeping with its mission and capacity, and structure its protection strategy accordingly.
