Standard 12: Land Stewardship

“Land trusts have a program of responsible stewardship for lands held for conservation purposes.”

 

Practices:

A. Funding Land Stewardship
  1. Determine the immediate financial and management implications of each conservation property acquisition or contractual stewardship commitment and estimate the long-term implications.
  2. 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 pdf
Stewardship Fund Policy Ontario Farmland Trust 2017 337 KB pdf
Stewardship Funding Model (CLTWG) Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust 2019 187 KB excel
Stewardship Costs – Fact Sheet Ontario Land Trust Alliance 2012 802 KB pdf
Stewardship Funds Report Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust 2014 105 KB pdf
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
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B. Land Management and Stewardship
  1. Develop a written land management plan for each conservation property within 12 months after acquiring the land to:
    1. Identify the property’s conservation values, including any significant cultural, Indigenous, historical and natural features and identify threats to those features.
    2. Identify the overall management goals for the property.
    3. Identify activities and timeline to achieve the goals and to reduce any risks or threats to the conservation values.
    4. Specify the uses that are appropriate for the property, in keeping with the property’s conservation values, any restrictions and donor or funder requirements.
  2. Manage each conservation property in accordance with its management plan, and review and update the plan periodically.
  3. Perform administrative duties (such as paying insurance, filling required forms, keeping records) in a timely and responsible manner.
  4. 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 pdf
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  pdf
Stewardship Directions & Principles Policy Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust 2019 228 KB pdf
Land Stewardship Policy Couchiching Conservancy 2022 306 KB pdf
Land Stewardship – Presentation Nature Conservancy of Canada 2019 1000 KB pdf
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C. Inspecting Land Trust Properties
  1. Determine the boundaries of land trust properties and physically mark them to the extent possible or necessary.
  2. Inspect properties at least once per calendar year for potential management problems and promptly document the outcomes of the inspection.
  3. Address management problems, including encroachments, trespass and other ownership challenges, in an appropriate and timely manner and document the actions taken.
    1. 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 pdf
Land Stewardship – Presentation Nature Conservancy of Canada 2019 1000 KB pdf
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D. Contingency Strategy
  1. 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
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E. Expropriation
  1. If a conservation property is threatened with expropriation:
    1. Work diligently to avoid a net loss to conservation values and document the actions taken.
    2. 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
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