Correspondence from Alf Birch, Land Trust Alliance BC

9 May 2016

Dear Land Trust Friends,

You are likely aware that the Land Trust Alliance of BC is working on an initiative for a province-wide "Conservation Tax Incentive Program" (CTIP), modeled on the successful Natural Areas Protection Tax Exemption Program" (NAPTEP) in the Gulf Islands under the Islands Trust Fund.

We've been making progress in the past six months or so. Last September, with the support of the Comox Valley Regional District and Comox Valley Land Trust a resolution was passed by the Union of BC Municipalities calling for the province to pass enabling legislation for a CTIP. In early May this year a meeting was held with MLA Don McRae (Comox Valley) and a representative from the office of the Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development – the ministry responsible for local government legislation.

In this meeting it was mentioned that indications of local endorsements ("validations") for CTIP are very helpful to increase its priority within the government's agenda. The time is therefore right to move ahead with awareness raising and gathering letters, motions, etc signaling support for a province-wide CTIP.

We therefore want to ask for your help in spreading information on the CTIP initiative and seeking letters or other indications of support from your organization, from landowners, from local governments and elected officials, and from other interested organizations.

To assist in this process we are establishing a CTIP website which will be located under the LTABC website. The CTIP website will include a brief synopsis of the program proposal, a posting of support letters as they are received, an indication of ways to be involved and how to get further information.

So ... what can you do?

We suggest that you take steps to get three letters of support for a provincial CTIP – one from your organization or similar group, one from an involved or interested landowner, and one from a local government (Regional District or municipality) or elected official (mayor, chair of a council environment committee, etc). Check the attached page with ideas on what can be said in letters of support. Letters from organizations or local governments can be based on official resolutions or they can be simple statements of personal endorsement.

We will follow up with you soon to see if we can be of assistance. We would be happy to assist through emails, phone calls or personal visits to get the ball rolling in your area in order to indicate to the province that there is widespread interest in a CTIP, an important incentive for natural area conservation on private land in BC.

Thanks for your interest and support!

Best regards,

Alf Birch LTABC Volunteer