How does The Couchiching Conservancy protect natural features?
How does The Couchiching Conservancy select its projects?
Criteria to evaluate land protection projects:
A. Ecological significance:
B. Context:
C. Public benefit:
D. Management Needs:
E. Financial Feasibility:
How can you become involved?
The Couchiching Conservancy is a land trust organization registered in 1993 as a non-profit, non-government body dedicated to holding natural lands in trust for the public benefit. It is affiliated with the Federation of Ontario Naturalists and the Ontario Land Trust Alliance. 
The Conservancy's goal is protection of special natural areas of the Couchiching region for future generations. The Conservancy achieves this by direct ownership and management of land, by holding conservation easements, by a range of stewardship initiatives with private owners and by working with landowners and other organizations sharing our desire to protect nature. Land donations are reviewed and must meet specific criteria before being accepted by The Couchiching Conservancy.
The Conservancy protects significant natural areas, wetlands, wildlife habitats, and ANSIs (Area of Natural and Scientific Interest). It also protects large intact natural areas, especially high quality upland forests, headwater areas and other critical watershed areas such as river corridors, and natural areas close to urban centres. As well, the Conservancy protects natural areas with scenic, educational or recreational value, and special landscapes under particular threat, such as limestone alvars and lake shores.
How does The Couchiching Conservancy protect natural features?
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The Conservancy works with the community in a range of activities to achieve its goals:
•Accepting donation of lands
In some cases, landowners are able to consider the outright donation of a property to the Conservancy. Every one of these generous offers is considered seriously, and evaluated against the criteria outlined below. Whenever possible, we discuss and accommodate a donor’s wishes, which could include the naming of the property or particular management practices. Normally we hold donated properties in trust as nature reserves. But in some cases, after full discussion with the donor, all or part of a property with limited ecological significance might be sold to generate revenue for other conservation projects.
The Conservancy contracts a professional appraisal of the value of the donated lands, and issues a charitable donation receipt based on that appraisal. When the lands are to be held as a nature reserve, our staff will assist donors through the federal Ecological Gifts program, which provides enhanced income tax benefits for the donation.
At the time of a land donation, we strive to add capital to our Property Stewardship Fund to ensure that future management costs can be handled responsibly. Depending on the significance of the property and the complexity of anticipated management issues, we may require a target level of stewardship funding to be in place.
•Negotiating conservation easements
Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that restrict specified activities on a property, or parts of a property, while leaving the property title in private hands. Conservation easements are registered on title, and bind all future owners to their conditions. Landowners can still sell or otherwise dispose of the property under the conservation easement, but the Conservancy has the legal right to enforce restrictions on the new owners.
While some conservation easement provisions are almost universal (such as restrictions on severances or subdivisions, mining or topsoil stripping, altering waterways or draining wetlands), other provisions can be negotiated to suit the desires of the landowner and the Conservancy. For example, an easement could prohibit all tree cutting except for safety, or it could limit timber removal to firewood or posts for the landowner’s personal use, or it could allow logging in accordance with an approved forest management plan.
Conservation easements are usually donated, and almost all go through the Ecological Gifts program. Because a conservation easement will usually lower the market value of a property, we retain a professional appraiser to establish the before-and-after property values, and we issue a donation receipt for the difference. For some landowners, conservation easements can be a valuable estate planning tool, as well as a way of ensuring that a cherished natural area is not destroyed by future owners.
•Participating in land purchases
Because of the costs involved, outright purchase of natural lands by the Conservancy is limited to very significant sites. For large properties, purchases may be carried out in cooperation with Nature Conservancy of Canada or other organizations. Most of the funding needed for land purchases must be raised within the community, which may require an extended period after an offer to purchase is accepted.
A relatively new option for landowners is a combination of part sale and part donation of a property. For example, if the appraised value of the property was $100,000, the Conservancy might agree to pay $40,000, and to issue a charitable donation receipt for the remaining $60,000. In many circumstances, the tax effects of this combination can provide an outcome surprisingly close to the proceeds of an outright sale. Landowners considering this option should seek professional financial and tax advice.
•Managing lands owned by other organizations
The Conservancy sets high standards for the management of its own properties. It also acts as a local manager for natural lands owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Ontario Heritage Foundation. A volunteer stewardship team is created for each property, with staff support for more difficult issues. A formal agreement sets out our responsibilities, and we often participate in the development of property management plans as well.
•Increasing and sharing knowledge about natural habitats
The Conservancy has been active in supporting field studies to document significant natural areas within our region. For example, we have sponsored field inventories of woodlands on the Oro Moraine, and of alvar and grassland bird habitats on the Carden Plain. We plan to continue to increase the knowledge base where necessary, in areas such as the southern Canadian Shield. When we wish to visit lands in private ownership, we seek the landowner’s permission in advance and report back on our findings.
We also share information about natural heritage in our region through training workshops and tours for our volunteers, public events, speaking engagements, displays, media articles, newsletters, and interpretive materials and programs.
•Encouraging good stewardship by private and public landowners
Often the best place for a significant natural area is in the hands of a sympathetic and informed private landowner. We support and encourage good stewardship by sharing information with landowners about natural features, management techniques, and conservation options. In some areas such as the Oro Moraine, we have developed Stewardship Award programs to recognize landowners who are practicing good land management.
On the Carden Plain, we have mapped areas of significant grassland bird habitat and distributed a booklet to landowners to encourage good stewardship. These activities are part of a conservation action plan developed under the umbrella of the Important Bird Area program, which designates priority habitats in countries around the world.
•Supporting improved policies and incentives for conservation
The Conservancy has adopted a policy which directs us away from advocacy activities in most cases. For example, we do not become part of Ontario Municipal Board hearings unless one of our own properties is directly affected, or a municipality requests our expert advice. However, we often comment on proposed Official Plan policies to a municipality in support of good conservation policies, or participate in technical working groups to provide advice on mapping of natural heritage systems.
As well, we have cooperated with other land trusts and provincial/national organizations in promoting policies and programs that support our work, such as the federal Ecological Gifts program or the application of the provincial Conservation Lands Tax Incentive Program.
How does The Couchiching Conservancy select its projects?
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Like many successful organizations, we are sometimes faced with a surplus of opportunity – more land protection projects than we can handle with our limited staff, volunteer, and financial resources. So we may need to choose which projects to undertake, and which to defer or decline.
To assist in the important task of evaluating potential land protection projects, we have developed a series of criteria within five groups: ecological significance, context, public benefit, management needs, and financial feasibility. These criteria are seldom black-or-white; rather they are evaluated on the degree to which they are positive, negative, or neutral factors. For projects requiring a greater commitment of resources, such as a land purchase, we would expect a very high rating on these evaluation criteria. For a parcel being donated with the intention of re-sale for revenue (called “trade lands”), many of the criteria would not apply.
Criteria to evaluate land protection projects:
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A. Ecological significance:
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•Do the lands fall within a natural core or linkage in the Conservancy’s natural heritage system mapping?
The natural heritage system is shown on the map on the reverse. Properties outside these natural core and linkage areas can be considered, but are likely to be a lower priority for Conservancy action.
•Are the lands likely to meet the Ontario criteria for Ecological Gift certification?
As part of the Ecological Gifts program, Environment Canada has published an extensive list of natural heritage criteria that can qualify a property to be certified as eligible in Ontario. We can assist landowners in determining if their lands will meet these criteria.
•Do the lands offer opportunities to buffer or create connections between natural habitats?
In some cases, lands that have limited natural values (such as abandoned fields) can provide buffering to an adjacent natural habitat, or opportunities to restore habitats over time to strengthen connections within the landscape.
B. Context:
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•Are the lands adjacent to existing reserves or parklands, County forests or Crown lands?
Properties which enlarge existing protected habitats are generally more valuable for conservation than small isolated parcels.
•Is the project area sufficiently large to warrant our involvement?
As a general guide, most properties we consider would be over 10 acres for a land donation, and over 40 acres for a conservation easement. There is no size limit on “trade lands” to be sold – we have accepted residential lots for that purpose.
•Are the lands actively threatened, or do existing municipal policies or ownership provide an effective degree of protection already?
For example, an alvar area with no municipal designation and actively sought by quarry companies would be a much higher priority than a provincially-significant wetland with few immediate threats.
C. Public benefit:
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•Will the project provide a clear benefit to the public?
As a registered charity, the Conservancy is required to ensure that each of our projects has a clear public benefit. We avoid projects that would yield benefits almost exclusively to the surrounding landowners, or to the donor only.
•Is there evidence of community support or opposition to the proposed project?
While it is possible that the Conservancy could choose to proceed with an unpopular project because of its environmental significance, a lack of community support would be a serious drawback.
•Does the project fall within the goals and strategic objectives of the Conservancy, or would it conflict with our desired image and credibility?
The Couchiching Conservancy’s mandate relates to the protection of the natural environment, so we would not undertake projects to preserve agricultural lands, for example. We also operate within a 5-year Strategic Plan, which defines our current priorities.
We are very conscious of the need to maintain the highest legal and ethical standards in our projects, and to ensure that none of our activities would tarnish our image as a reputable and honest organization.
D. Management Needs:
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•Is there any evidence of toxic contamination, safety hazards, or other potential liabilities on the property?
Properties under consideration will be inspected by Conservancy staff or volunteers to document any factors that might indicate toxic contamination (such as storage drums, evidence of dumping) or safety hazards such as old wells. Additional expert inspection would be contracted if warranted.
•Are there buildings or other structures on the property?
Buildings or other structures such as bridges are often future management headaches. If they are present, we will look at their current condition, and assess whether there are viable options for their future use or disposal.
•Will the natural features on the property be self-sustaining, or require ongoing management?
Some natural areas require very little management attention other than simply protecting them from abuse. But others need considerable management intervention to maintain or restore their natural qualities. In these cases, we will consider our ability to provide the necessary ongoing management as part of evaluating the project.
•Are there existing incompatible uses on the property or in the neighbourhood?
If a property has a history of uncontrolled use by off-road vehicles or ATVs, for example, we would have to assess whether it will be possible to end those incompatible uses under our ownership.
•Are local volunteers likely to be available to assist in future monitoring and management?
Because the Conservancy relies on volunteer teams for regular monitoring and management activities on its properties, the availability of volunteers is an important factor.
E. Financial Feasibility:
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•Have all securement options been considered to find the most cost-effective choice?
As outlined above, we can make use of a variety of techniques to protect the natural features of a property – full or partial donation, conservation easement, purchase, stewardship agreement, and other options such as leases.
•Are funds available for immediate acquisition costs?
For land trusts, even an outright donation of lands or a conservation easement is not “free”. We have to pay for acquisition costs such as legal transfer costs, surveys, appraisals, and signage.
•Are stewardship funds for ongoing management likely to be available?
For each property, the Conservancy will establish a target amount of funding to be added to our Property Stewardship Fund to support long-term management costs.
•Is there potential for partnerships to share the costs of the project?
In some cases, partnerships with Nature Conservancy of Canada, municipalities, or other organizations can share the costs of a project, and make it more feasible for us.
•Are lands jointly held or under some form of ownership dispute?
A property which is held by more than one person – by a family for example – can present challenges if disagreements arise about its transfer. The Conservancy may request a letter of intent signed by all parties to the ownership at an early stage of the land protection process.
In all securement projects involving an interest in the ownership of the property (including conservation easements), the owners involved will be advised by the Conservancy to seek independent legal and financial advice to ensure that their interests are protected.
How can you become involved?
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The Couchiching Conservancy is a small organization, with only one permanent staff, and a nine-member Board of Directors drawn from the local community. The involvement of our members and supporters is crucial to our success. That involvement can take many forms:
•Becoming part of a volunteer property management team, or volunteering for special events, membership or fundraising campaigns;
•Contributing financially towards the ongoing costs of the Conservancy, to special acquisition projects, or to the Property Stewardship Fund;
•Considering a Planned Giving contribution, such as including the Conservancy in your will;
•Acting directly to secure natural areas by donating properties or conservation easements to the Conservancy.
For more information about current Conservancy projects and activities, please contact us:
The Couchiching Conservancy
Box 704, 1485 Division Road West
Orillia, Ontario
L3V 6K7
Contact the Conservancy at:
(705) 326-1620
nature@couchconservancy.ca
