Conservation Covenants
Many island landowners, like yourself, care about wildlife habitat, clean water and scenic vistas. We recognize that protecting the natural areas in our community helps to maintain our islands as a special place to live.
Private landowners play an important role in helping to protect the natural areas in this unique part of the world. But we often struggle with the fear of what might happen to our home after we are gone. Will the next landowner let the rotting tree stand for the foraging pileated woodpecker? Will they turn the lawnmower back when they reach the camas meadow? Will they leave the swamp where the chorus frogs sing in the spring time?
Conservation covenants are one of the most effective land preservation tools available to landowners wanting to ensure the natural features of their property are protected forever.
What is a Conservation Covenant?
Conservation covenants are voluntary, legally binding agreements in which a landowner promises to protect all or part of their land in perpetuity. It outlines the values to be protected and states the limits of development and land use.
A conservation covenant is appropriate if you wish to protect your land but do not want to transfer ownership of the land to a conservation agency. In return for foregoing some land uses, landowners are able to maintain special areas on their lands forever, while retaining the regular rights of ownership to live, work on, and sell the land.
How does a Conservation Covenant protect natural areas?
The Islands Trust Fund works with landowners to identify the natural features of a property and develop a plan to protect those features. A covenant might include restrictions on subdivision or development, removal of native plants, or use of herbicides and pesticides. The covenant can apply to all or just a portion of the property, depending on where the natural features are located and how the property is used.
The promises made in a conservation covenant apply not only to you, but also to future owners of your land. This ensures that the natural values of the property are protected forever. Donating a conservation covenant on your property creates a conservation legacy for the future.
Who will care for my land in the future?
When donating a conservation covenant on their property, you are enlisting the help of the Islands Trust Fund to ensure the property is protected after you are gone. We monitor covenant areas annually to ensure the natural features protected under the covenant are not damaged or destroyed. In the event of a violation of the covenants, the Islands Trust Fund is responsible for enforcing the terms of the covenant.
To help meet this long-term responsibility, the Islands Trust Fund established the Covenant Management and Defence Fund. The Fund is dedicated to providing the Islands Trust Fund, its conservation partners and covenant landowners with the resources needed to monitor, care for, and defend our conservation covenants and the wildlife habitat they protect.
Please consider donating to the Covenant Management and Defence Fund. Your donation will help ensure special areas protected by conservation covenants remain protected. All donations made to the Islands Trust Fund receive receipt for income tax purposes.
Are there tax advantages associated with Conservation Covenants?
There may be income and property tax benefits associated with placing a covenant on your land, depending on your particular circumstances. Environment Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program provides donors of eligible conservation covenants with special income tax benefits.
The Natural Area Protection Tax Exemption Program (NAPTEP) provides eligible Islands Trust Area landowners who protect their land through a NAPTEP covenant with a 65% exemption in annual property taxes on the protected portion of their land.
BC Assessment considers conservation covenants when assessing property values. If a covenant’s restrictions reduce the property’s market value, this may lower property taxes on the land.
I'm Interested: What Now?
A conservation covenant is an agreement that can be individually tailored to you and the characteristics of your land. This page and our Conservation Covenant Brochure provide an introduction to covenants. Decisions about your land and financial affairs should be made only after careful consideration and professional advice (independent legal and tax advice).
Contact the Islands Trust Fund and let us know if you are interested in learning more about conservation covenants. We will be happy to provide you with further information on the covenant process and timeline, and discuss your wishes for your land.
If you wish to proceed with a conservation covenant, please submit a conservation proposal:
If you would like more information, please contact:
Ecosystem Protection Specialist
(250) 405-5176
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