UDI is a Founding Member of the Land Trust – Let’s Talk about Conservation for the
Urban Development Institute – Greater Edmonton Chapter Pamela Wight, Executive Director
pamwight@ealt.ca November 20, 2008
Who is the Land Trust? Founding Partners: • Edmonton Community Foundation • City of Edmonton • Land Stewardship Centre of Canada • Legacy Lands Conservation Society • Edmonton Nature Club • Urban Development Institute - Greater Edmonton Chapter
What was the Mandate? To create an independent, charitable not-for-profit, supported by the community, to lead in selecting, securing, and stewarding natural area systems and cultural heritage landscapes in the Edmonton area
Local Environmental Charity • EALT is currently the only charitable environmental organisation oriented to the entire Edmonton & Region, to focus on conserving natural areas in perpetuity • EALT takes a strongly collaborative approach
What’s the Vision? • An Edmonton region where natural area systems are valued, preserved for future generations and play a key role in the social, economic, and environmental life of the residents of the area
Purpose & Goals • Conserve, protect, & restore natural areas of ecological significance – Raise & maintain funds to support operations, purchase & educational outreach – Advance environmentally sound stewardship among landowners – Increase public’s understanding of natural area conservation – Encourage & conduct research to support land conservation decisions
Why? What’s the Issue? • Between 2001 & 2006, Edmonton added ~100,000 residents • Dwellings increased >28% in last decade • Rapid industrial, commercial & other development has increased pressure in the entire region’s natural & agricultural areas • Pressures on infrastructure (& people & wildlife) have increased dramatically
Edmonton’s Historical Growth (1902-2004)
Future Growth Scenarios (2004-2030)
Benefits of EALT’s Activities? • Environmental: clean water & air, habitat, biological diversity • Economic: increased property values (proximity principle), therefore increased municipal taxes, sustainable land use, natural capital values (natural resources) • Cultural/Scenic: recreational spaces, beauty, agricultural values & quality of life • Urban: preserving urban forests conserves energy, reduces runoff & stormwater treatment needs, improves water quality, & provides habitat
Why is this work Important? • It’s the many natural, cultural & rural landscapes that make our region unique • Healthy natural systems perform vital ecological functions & services • The case for nature conservation is more than environmental, recreational or aesthetic, it is increasingly economic • Research show it is often more cost-effective to conserve existing natural systems than to attempt to rebuild them
Mechanisms EALT has to Conserve • Donations of land – for preservation or restoration – investment for potential sale for more suitable lands
• Purchase of land • Conservation Easements (on all or part of land) • Establish & implement appropriate stewardship practices for all lands held • Donations of money (or securities) – endowment funds have been established at the Edmonton Community Foundation • Partnerships • Education & Awareness
Ecological Gifts Program • Acquisition & regulation insufficient to achieve conservation goals • Private or corporate landowners can donate land to a qualified agency & receive tax benefits • Non-refundable federal tax credit • Split-receipts (“bargain-sales”) can also qualify as ecological gifts • Eco-gift skip transfers • Inventory land does not receive the same tax treatment
• Guidelines for Eco-gifts on Environment Canada website
Important Natural Areas in the Edmonton Region
Challenges of an Urban Land Trust Site Selection: • general perception natural sites & urban areas are mutually exclusive • sufficient size & connectivity is VIP • significant controversy is common
Site Securement: •high land market values, so challenge to raise funds •criteria of Ecological Gifts program sometimes not applicable to urban natural area situations •expropriation possibilities
Site Stewardship: •long-term maintenance, paying taxes & liability insurance, preventative maintenance, etc, higher levels of abuse or misuse, so high resources and time required
Outreach: •difficulty engaging media interest to reach donors/volunteers
Other Challenges • Land values are very dynamic • Tremendous pressures on lands in urban & adjacent areas • We rely strongly on volunteers in all areas of our work & outreach • Eco-gift program very useful, but inventory lands (lands acquired for resale) are not subject to the same tax advantages (only a portion of capital gains eligible)
Actual/Potential Activities • The Capital Region Land Use Plan is ongoing • IAFE charged with incorporating the environment into decisions • No one player has control, over time • EALT has initiated collaborations: – to map, regionally, the key natural areas of importance – to examine future scenarios related to current decisions as a decision-making tool – to acquire & steward lands
• EALT could be a pragmatic tool in the toolbox (CEs, landholder, ecogift, negotiation device)
Benefits w. EALT for Landowners & Developers: • a non-adversarial partner to proactively conserve natural area systems ahead of the development process • voluntary landowner conservation initiatives through purchase or gifting of land or Conservation Easements • charity, can provide tax benefits to donors
Benefits w. EALT for Individuals, Corporations or Clients: • An opportunity to support conservation convictions through land/money donations • Charitable receipts for donations • For ecologically important lands (Eco-gift), 5-year offset of capital gains taxes • Provincial Community Spirit Program –Individuals: - receive 50¢ tax credit –Charity: - receives an additional Community Spirit grant based on donations received from individuals
EALT has United as a partner • COE Community Partnership Project (ICLEI) • Interpretation of: Big Lake Stormwater Management Bioswales & Wetland • Interpretive signage & Interpretive literature • Long-lasting influence, plus enhanced image
How can EALT partner with YOU or your CLIENTS? • We have core values of conservation – We are v. much focussed on collaborations – We can be a cooperative tool for you / your clients – We can help leverage your activities – We don’t have a set approach, & understand that every parcel / development is unique, & are open to suggestions
• How can we collaborate to meet mutual goals & needs?
How can UDI & EALT partner to build better communities? • Does your selling landowner ever have preservation objectives? • Could we provide an option? • What can we offer you? • Can you help with outreach / PR / website? • Can you help with volunteers? • YOU have some of the answers or suggestions!
Thank you! Any questions? Any suggestions?
www.ealt.ca