Ryan McCracken with Farris LLP has offered his time to speak with us about Conservation Covenants and Ecological Gifts.

In his professional work, Ryan is a solicitor primarily focused on real estate and he knows island life well, having a family place on Hornby Island. He is an active volunteer with several NGOs.

https://capu.zoom.us/j/62664731639?pwd=aahTanT0y4QEzrlCYdVSHdcxEXhZGa.1

Meeting ID: 626 6473 1639
Passcode: 176611

For more information: see link to BC Conservation Covenant Handbook

https://www.wcel.org/sites/default/files/publications/bc-conservation-covenant-handbook_2023.pdf

A short synopsis of the topic (taken from WCEL, BC Conservation Covenant Handbook). 

“Providing legal protection for special areas of privately owned land has become increasingly important in British Columbia during the past number of years. While private land makes up only about five percent of the land base in the province, much is concentrated in scarce and heavily-altered ecological zones such as Coastal Douglas-fir along Georgia Strait…. A conservation covenant is a long-term commitment to stewardship of the land by the landowner and the conservation organization or government agency. It facilitates the permanent protection of the important values of the land according to the terms of the covenant while allowing the landowner to retain possession and carry out compatible uses of the land…Landowners can receive significant tax benefits from granting conservation covenants over ecologically significant land. Further…The inherent and constitutionally protected title, rights and jurisdiction of Indigenous peoples must be recognized and upheld whenever management or disposition of land is considered.”