The Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia, Ontario Land Trust Alliance, and Réseau de milieux naturels protégés, along with the Canadian Land Trust Working Group and other stakeholders, have been working towards establishing a National Canadian land trust organization.

To date, a National Organization Working Group has been formed, made up of representatives from the western provinces, Ontario, Quebec and maritime provinces. The working group has developed a strategy for discussion and consultation around the creation of a national organization to provide a national voice for land trusts, while supporting the existing roles of the provincial land trust alliance. The working group has also begun developing draft Terms of Reference and Governance Structure for the new organization. The working group will begin direct consultation with you, the land trust community, about this new initiative in the coming months.

This effort represents a move to formalize the structure and activities of the Canadian Land Trust Working Group, which has worked with NCC, DUC and WHC to secure federal funding for community land trusts through the Land Trust Conservation Fund (LTCF). It will also strengthen the Capacity Building Program of the three provincial alliances which has been, very successful and has been made possible through the LTCF.

The Alliances, as part of the Capacity Building program, have recently launched a new national website (Land Trust Alliances Canada www.ltacanada.ca). This website is focused on supporting the capacity of land trusts to achieve compliance with the Canadian Land Trust Standards & Practices. The website provides shared resources from across the country, including templates for land trusts wishing to work on the S&P.

The three land trust alliances are continuing to work together to grow the content and resources provided in this new space, for all community land trusts working in Canada. Subscribe here to receive news and information from Land Trust Alliances Canada/Alliance des organismes de conservation du Canada.

Land Trusts Conservation Fund (LTCF)

Wildlife Habitat Canada is accepting Year 3 Large Grant funding applications for the Land Trusts Conservation Fund. The deadline to apply is 8:00pm ET on Friday, March 19, 2021.

NOTE: The matching funds ratio requirement has been reduced to 1.5 : 1 in Year 3 of the program.

The program is seeking priority projects that:

• have a funding request between $30,001 and $1M;

• are planned to close between April 1, 2021 and December 15, 2021;

• are securing land that can be counted towards Canada Target 1;

• fall within a documented conservation plan;

• have eligible expenses in FY 2021-2022.

Large Grant program information, including eligibility and project requirements, is available at: https://whc.org/ltcf/.

Wildlife Habitat Canada is providing grant administration services for the Land Trusts Conservation Fund (LTCF), which is a component of the Natural Heritage Conservation Program.

Please feel free to share this information within your networks.

Given the currently unfolding situation with COVID-19, there may be some unexpected impacts on the program year that are outside of our control. We will be working together with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to mitigate any anticipated challenges, and will communicate further if there are any local, regional or national changes that could impact the implementation of Year 3 of the program.

The Government of Canada is investing $100 million over four years in the Natural Heritage Conservation Program (NHCP), from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2023, as part of Budget 2018’s Nature Legacy initiative.

The NHCP is a public-private partnership designed to advance privately protected areas in some of the country’s most cherished landscapes. More specifically, the NHCP aims to achieve the following objectives:

• to contribute to the achievement of the terrestrial and inland water elements of Target 1 of Canada’s 2020 Biodiversity Goals and Targets;

• to contribute to the protection of habitat for the recovery of Species at Risk Act (SARA) listed species at risk and the prevention of other species from becoming listed under SARA.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Wildlife Habitat Canada and a variety of regional and local land trusts represented by the Canadian Land Trust Working Group are working together under the Natural Heritage Conservation Program to support these goals, with a commitment to protect 200,000 hectares (494,210 acres) of habitat for species at risk.

LTABC   |   201-569 Johnson Street Victoria BC V8W 1M2
250-590-1921   |   info@ltabc.ca

The Land Trust Alliance of BC is dedicated to the stewardship and conservation of our natural and cultural heritage through support of land trusts, conservancies and others. We provide education, research, communications and financial services.

Copyright (C) 2021 Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia. All rights reserved.

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