Adaptation & Innovation

The Centre for Land Conservation is dedicated to advancing conservation policy and practice through evidence-based research and the championing of new approaches to protecting, conserving and managing lands in Canada.

Conservation Endowment & Defence

Private conservation lands are crucial to achieving Canada’s biodiversity goals. Canada now has more than 150 non-governmental organizations working on the ground from coast to coast to coast to protect ecologically important lands and conserve biodiversity. These organizations manage a significant conservation estate and work hard to sustainably manage and protect their lands and agreements. Nevertheless, they continue to voice concerns related to the long-term stewardship and legal protection of their conservation properties and agreements. Financial and legal challenges can jeopardize the permanency of conservation lands.

Through more than three years of consultation and investigation with the conservation community and others, the Centre has now published two reports on endowments and conservation defence. The objectives of the series are to increase Canadians’ awareness of the value and importance of private land conservation and to promote improved conservation policy and practice that will help achieve better, faster, and durable conservation outcomes in Canada to meet the twin challenges of biodiversity loss and a changing climate.

Forever Protected?

Canada now has more than 150 non-governmental organizations working on the ground from coast to coast to coast to protect ecologically important lands and conserve biological diversity. They manage a significant conservation estate and work hard to sustainably manage and protect their lands and agreements. Nevertheless, these organizations continue to voice concerns related to the long-term stewardship and legal protection of their conservation properties and agreements.

CLC analysed the current state of play, in a report that reflects the ongoing and spirited conversations within the private land conservation sector.

Find the full report, here.

Safeguarding Private Conservation Lands in Canada

Completed in September 2024, Safeguarding Private Conservation Lands in Canada is implementing the recommendations in Forever Protected? to gain further insights from the sector on endowments and legal protection. Forever Protected? noted that there are different ways to enhance funding for stewardship. Safeguarding Private Conservation Lands in Canada explores one approach, the feasibility of establishing a national conservation endowment match funding initiative that would enhance the capacity of private land conservation organizations to sustain their operations and steward their conservation lands and agreements effectively. It aims to lay out the key considerations and design questions should such an initiative ever be developed.

This study also explores the specifics of how a conservation insurance facility for private land conservation organizations could work. This exploration includes the nature of relevant Canadian legislation, an outline of the considerations in the design of such a facility, and the next steps needed to support the sector in moving forward on this issue.

Find the full report, here.