The Mountain View County-based Legacy Land Trust Society (LLTS) is moving forward on several fronts this summer, including the development of a detailed business plan, says board member Jim Smith.
“It's coming along and we've had quite a few landowners coming forward and saying they are interested,” Smith said July 23. “They've been talking to us about conserving some of their cherished lands. We haven't done any deals yet because as part of the process we want to make sure our policies are intact and we are happy with the processes. That's one of the things with a brand new board.
“We are building capacity for the society and putting together our business plan making sure we have good foundations for the work we are planning to do.”
A non-profit organization, LLTS is designed to facilitate voluntary private land conservation in the county and in bordering municipalities.
“One of the things we've been saying to landowners is we need a little patience because while we have our society incorporated, we have not as yet received confirmation from Canada Revenue Agency that we have our charitable number. So we don't want to get ahead of them,” he said.
Asked when the charitable number may be approved, he said, “It's a little indeterminate. They said between three and six months in May.”
The society will offer private landowners a resource to conserve agricultural land, ecologically sensitive land, wildlife habitat and wildlife corridors, recreational areas and significant historical and archeological sites, he said.
The society oversees the establishment of so-called “conservation easements” under voluntary agreements between the landowner and the land trust.
Such easements allow some of the rights on the land to be handed to the land trust, while other rights are retained by the landowner. The easement would appear on the land title.
“What the conservation easement seeks to do is for the landowner to say, here's some values in this land that have been important to our community and our family, and we want to ensure those stay intact, whether it's some wildlife habitat or a nice treed area or a lake. That will ensure those things are maintained,” he said.
“You don't donate away the whole interest in your farm, so you can, for example, still do some farming or hiking or make it for some recreational activities. That is an important distinction.”
Other owners may choose to pass the entire land ownership over to the land trust, which would then hold, steward and protect it.
“We believe the community gains a sense of ownership and responsibly for the preservation and conservation of its land, culture and history, which is a benefit to the public and landowners in the society's mandated region,” Smith told Mountain View County council in April.
At the same time, Mountain View County reeve Bruce Beattie said the municipality is in support of the society's efforts.
“Our council believes voluntary private land conservation, facilitated by the society, will benefit environmental, cultural, social and economic health of the county and surrounding municipalities,” said Beattie.
