Standard 12: Land Stewardship
“Land trusts have a program of responsible stewardship for lands held for conservation purposes.”
Practices:
A. Funding Land Stewardship
- Determine the immediate financial and management implications of each conservation property acquisition or contractual stewardship commitment and estimate the long-term implications.
- Anticipate and tract costs associated with long-term land management, stewardship and enforcement of conservation properties.
Resources:
Stewardship Guide | Ontario Land Trust Alliance | 2010 | 3,544 KB | |
Stewardship Fund Policy | Ontario Farmland Trust | 2017 | 337 KB | |
Stewardship Funding Model (CLTWG) | Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust | 2019 | 187 KB | excel |
Stewardship Costs – Fact Sheet | Ontario Land Trust Alliance | 2012 | 802 KB | |
Stewardship Funds Report | Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust | 2014 | 105 KB | |
Calculating the costs of stewardship and the defense of CE & Endowment | Ontario Land Trust Alliance | 2011 | 79 KB | Excel |
Land Trust Endowment Fund Calculator | Ontario Land Trust Alliance & Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust | 2020 | 22 KB | Excel |
File Name | Organization | Year | Size | Format |
B. Land Management and Stewardship
- Develop a written land management plan for each conservation property within 12 months after acquiring the land to:
- Identify the property’s conservation values, including any significant cultural, Indigenous, historical and natural features and identify threats to those features.
- Identify the overall management goals for the property.
- Identify activities and timeline to achieve the goals and to reduce any risks or threats to the conservation values.
- Specify the uses that are appropriate for the property, in keeping with the property’s conservation values, any restrictions and donor or funder requirements.
- Manage each conservation property in accordance with its management plan, and review and update the plan periodically.
- Perform administrative duties (such as paying insurance, filling required forms, keeping records) in a timely and responsible manner.
- Maintain the property in a manner that retains the land trust’s public credibility, manages community expectations and minimizes risk consistent with the land trust’s mission.
Resources:
Management Plan – Template 1 | Ontario Land trust Alliance | 2014 | 97 KB | word |
Management Plan – Template 2 | Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust | 2018 | 222 KB | word |
A Guide to Land Stewardship | Bruce Trail Conservancy | 2015 | 281 KB | |
Cultural Site Assessment – Sample | Ontario Land Trust Alliance | ————————– | 53 KB | word |
Natural Values Site Assessment – Sample | Ontario Land Trust Alliance | ————————– | 103 KB | word |
Volunteer Manual for Land Management | Ontario Land Trust Alliance | 2002 | ||
Stewardship Directions & Principles Policy | Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust | 2019 | 228 KB | |
Land Stewardship Policy | Couchiching Conservancy | 2022 | 306 KB | |
Land Stewardship – Presentation | Nature Conservancy of Canada | 2019 | 1000 KB | |
File Name | Organization | Year | Size | Format |
C. Inspecting Land Trust Properties
- Determine the boundaries of land trust properties and physically mark them to the extent possible or necessary.
- Inspect properties at least once per calendar year for potential management problems and promptly document the outcomes of the inspection.
- Address management problems, including encroachments, trespass and other ownership challenges, in an appropriate and timely manner and document the actions taken.
- For lands that have been certified as an ecological gift, report detected changes or impacts to the natural features of the property to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Resources:
Trespass to Property Act, R.S.O., c. T.21 | Ontario Government | 2016 | —————– | website |
Directory of the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors | Association of Ontario Land Surveyors | ——————- | —————– | website |
Signage Policy | Couchiching Conservancy | 2022 | 736 KB | |
Land Stewardship – Presentation | Nature Conservancy of Canada | 2019 | 1000 KB | |
File Name | Organization | Year | Size | Format |
D. Contingency Strategy
- Establish a contingency plan for conservation lands in the event the land trust ceases to exist or can no longer own or manage them.
Resources:
Not-For-Profit-Incorporator’s Guide: Section 6.6.2. Dissolution and Surrender of Charter | Ministry of the Attorney General | 2018 | ——————- | website |
File Name | Organization | Year | Size | Format |
E. Expropriation
- If a conservation property is threatened with expropriation:
- Work diligently to avoid a net loss to conservation values and document the actions taken.
- Provide prompt notification to relevant parties, including expropriating authority and Environment and Climate Change Canada, if the conservation agreement is certified as an ecological gift.
Resources:
Expropriations Act, R.R.O., 1990, Regulation 363 | Ontario Government | —————– | ——————- | website |
File Name | Organization | Year | Size | Format |