A new provincial grant program will provide $5 million to land trust organizations in 2011 and 2012.
The money, which will be available to any of Alberta’s 12 existing land trust organizations, will be used to help them purchase conservation easements on private, ecologically-sensitive land and to manage land administered under trusts.
“Whether we are maintaining large areas of native landscape or conserving corridors for biodiversity, the Alberta Land Trust Grant Program will help us achieve long-term conservation goals,” said Sustainable Resource Development Minister Mel Knight. “Land trusts are worthy partners and a good resource to help identify and protect high-value conservation lands.”
The fund, first established in 2010 after changes were made to the Public Lands Act, will provide $1 for every $2 of funding land trusts come up with to purchase conservation easements, which are a voluntary, legal agreements that permanently protect land while allowing it to remain under private title.
The program, which has an application deadline of Sept. 26, will be funded through the sale of public lands.
Robin Telasky, executive director for Alberta Land Trust Alliance, said starting last fall, the organization met with sustainable resources representatives to discuss key concerns. Topping that list was a lack of funds to steward conservation easements.
“We hope that (the meetings) influenced (this) announcement, and we are certainly pleased with it,” said Telasky. “We hope that it will assist both large and small land trusts.”
According to Telasky, Alberta landowners are showing keen interest in preserving land for future generations. Currently, there are more than 1,500 conservation easements in the province, totalling about 115,000 acres, with about half being held by land trusts,
“Because of the pressures of development and the way that urban centres are sprawling around us, we really only have this one chance to capture back certain areas of the province,” said Telasky. “I think the $5 million is a great gesture, but I hope that this is not a single incident.”
Tracy Tarves, executive director of Western Sky Land Trust, a Calgary region-based trust focused on conserving the landscape of the lower Bow River, said the organization welcomes all funding opportunities.
“The bottom line is we appreciate any support we can be given, because land conservations is very expensive,” said Tarves. “In the land trust business it very important, yet it is very hard, to raise dollars for the stewardship of land.”
Costs are incurred both when the land is donated and in caring for it. The trusts are responsible for legal fees, taxes, insurance, environmental studies and assessments, fencing, appraisal, remediation and monitoring fees, added Tarves.
“Once you have the conservation project in place, you are responsible for it... so you have to make sure you have the money in place,” said Tarves.
Rick Michalenko, a senior planner at Rocky View County, said there are currently a number of conservation easements in the county. He said changes to the Land Use Framework and Alberta Land Stewardship Act, coupled with the grant program, may trigger an increase in that number.
Legislation has also opened the door for easements to protect agricultural land, something not yet done in the province, Michalenko added.
“What all of this is suggesting is that based on the new funding options, and the fact that the Land Use Framework has increased the scope of these easements, we could start seeing more (easements),” said Michalenko.
