Conservation Easements in Alberta
This website was created by the Environmental Law Centre and Miistakis Institute to help landowners, land trusts, municipalities and others find answers to questions related to conservation easements in Alberta. You can browse our top ten questions below or type into the search bar to see what other questions are answered on the site.
What is a conservation easement?
Many people nod when asked if they know about conservation easements – but when asked if they could describe them, chuckle nervously...
How does a conservation easement affect a land parcel?
Although there are secondary effects and complementary goals on the part of both the grantor and the grantee, the principle effect of a conservation..
How is a conservation easement certified as a federal EcoGift?
Recognizing that habitat loss and degradation are the greatest threats to biodiversity in Canada and that many key habitats are on private land...
Creating Robust Conservation Easements
Knowing that conservation easements are perpetual and likely to face a challenge at some point, conservation easements should be drafted with the expe
How do municipal government conservation easements and land trust conservation easements differ?
To date, the most common qualified organizations to hold conservation easements in Alberta have been non-governmental organizations (more commonly...
Who’s involved in a conservation easement?
A conservation easement is a legal agreement between two entities, but there are a number of others who play critical oversight or support roles...
How is a conservation easement created?
Every conservation easement is different, but the essential steps in creating a CE are very similar regardless of the land parcel, landowner...
What are the financial implications of a conservation easement?
A conservation easement will not make you rich; it is first and foremost a tool to help landowners accomplish their long-term conservation objectives.
What’s involved in holding a conservation easement?
Designing and negotiating a conservation easement is a big job, but in terms of time it is a small portion of the job compared with ongoing....
Are there creative ways to use CEs?
In most cases, conservation easements stand alone, working on their own to achieve a set of conservation goals...
Are you a qualified organization?
Under the Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA), a “qualified organization” is an organization that can hold a conservation easement granted by a landow
How is a conservation easement changed?
Legally speaking, a conservation easement can be considered a “hybrid” document. While its existence and the broad framework supporting its creation..
How is a conservation easement registered?
A conservation easement’s significance lies in its ability to bind future landowners to the use restrictions it establishes...
How is a multiple purpose conservation easement agreement drafted?
Crafting a conservation easement agreement is a negotiated process, so neither side should feel obligated to accept without question...
How is a single-purpose conservation easement agreement drafted?
While use of conservation easements in Canada is relatively new, the United States has used conservation easements for a number of decades...
What happens when a conservation easement is challenged?
The long-term nature of a conservation easement means that the easement is likely to face a challenge at some point in its future...
What is involved in stewarding a conservation easement?
It has been said that land trusts and conservancies are more stewardship than securement organizations given the amount of time and effort that goes..
What is the Legal Nature of a Conservation Easement?
A conservation easement is legally considered an interest in land for the qualified organization (grantee)...
What is the Process for Granting a Conservation Easement?
13 Things You Should Know About Conservation Easements
It is important to know that a conservation easement...Is enabled by provincial legislation, Can be for one of three purposes...
This project was supported through generous grants from the Government of Alberta Land Use Secretariat, The Alberta Real Estate Foundation, Ducks Unlimited and the Alberta Law Foundation.
