Points for Letters of Support for a Provincial Conservation Tax Incentive Program

General

Letters can be addressed to: "To Whom It May Concern" of "Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development"
Return letters to Land Trust Alliance of BC. If you wish, send the original of the letter to the Minister of CSCD and a copy to your local MLA and LTABC.

Landowners

Landowners in the Island Trust area who already have a NAPTEP covenant on their property can indicate that they appreciate the assistance to make the covenant personally feasible. They can also indicate the importance of permanent conservation of valuable natural areas.
Landowners who do not yet have the option of tax reduction on covenant land can state that they would appreciate this kind of support. A tax incentive program would help to offset the cost of initiating a conservation covenant and would give some recognition to the ecological and amenity values which they would be helping to preserve. Please tell landowners that a letter of support is not a promise to initiate a covenant!

Land Trusts and Other Organizations

Land trusts and other conservation organizations can give a brief indication of the importance of ecological protection on private lands as part of their goals and objectives. Are they involved with conservation covenants? If so, what effect might a conservation tax incentive program have? Indicate that non-profit organizations and private landowners are doing a great deal, through voluntary efforts, to achieve public environmental goals, often in the face of rising land values and property taxes – which are often disincentives to natural area conservation.

Text excerpt detailing goals and efforts of land trusts and conservation organizations

* Statements can be made about such things as: * CTIP would be a useful tool * The organization is aware of the success of the NAPTEP in the Gulf Island area (see CTIP Background Paper) * CTIP is fully voluntary and would involve little or no cost to local governments and the province. * Encourage the Government to make the necessary legislative amendments to enable local governments to use CTIP.

Full view of page 2 with bulleted text sections

Regional Districts, Municipalities or Elected Officials

Local governments or elected officials can indicate the importance of ecological protection on private lands as part of their goals and objectives (e.g. Official Community Plan).
Indicate that they are aware of the successful NAPTEP in the Gulf Island area. This program has operated for 10 years and has created a positive incentive for land conservation with no adverse effects or concerns from local landowners. (see CTIP Background Paper)
Indicate that they believe a province-wide CTIP would complement their local environmental policies and programs. Have they had positive experience in working with non-profit conservation groups and how would they see CTIP contributing to those partnerships?
Statements can be made about such things as:
- CTIP could be a useful tool
- CTIP is fully voluntary and would involve little or no cost to local governments and the province.
Encourage the Government to make the necessary legislative amendments to enable local governments to use CTIP.