A conservation covenant is a voluntary written legal agreement between a landowner and a conservancy or land trust. The landowner agrees to protect the property in specific ways in perpetuity. The conservancy agrees to monitor and enforce the agreement in perpetuity. Sometimes two conservancies co-hold the agreement with the landowner.

Conservation covenants are flexible agreements and can include any terms that you and the land trust agree on. They can include terms such as protecting natural features on your land, limiting subdivision and development, or committing to the removal of invasive species.

Conservation covenants “run with the land”. They are filed at the Land Title Office and become permanently attached to the title of the land, regardless of who owns the property. All future owners of the property are also bound to the terms of the conservation covenant.

No, a conservation covenant can be placed on all or just some of your property, allowing you to continue developing and living on any unprotected areas.

Costs range from $6500 to $15,000+ depending on property size and agreement complexity and include a land survey, an ecological baseline report, registration fees, and independent legal and tax advice. An appraisal may also be needed. In addition to this, land trusts often require a donation to help cover the future costs of monitoring and enforcing the agreement.

QICSS co-holds conservation covenants with larger conservancies, like The Land Trust or Nature’s Trust of BC. Including QICSS in your covenant agreement can help to ensure permanent protection of your land. We can also provide local knowledge and presence on the ground, and lead annual covenant monitoring.

The are income tax benefits when a conservation covenant is placed on land, as from a development perspective, it reduces the value of the land. The reduction in land value also reduces the annual property tax payments.