Ecological gifts

Raincoast established a land trust in 2020 under the umbrella of our Forest Conservation Program. Operating a land trust allows us to purchase and protect land in areas where environmental regulations are inadequate to safeguard the local biodiversity. By purchasing land, our goal is to enhance connectivity, ecological integrity, and climate resilience. 

Operating a land trust also allows us to receive ecological gifts. The Ecological Gifts Program provides a way for Canadians with ecologically sensitive land to protect nature and leave a legacy for future generations. Made possible by the terms of the Income Tax Act of Canada, it offers significant tax benefits to landowners who donate land or a partial interest in land to a qualified recipient. Raincoast then ensures that the land’s biodiversity and environmental heritage are conserved in perpetuity.

Lands qualifying as ecological gifts must be certified as ecologically sensitive according to specific national and provincial criteria: this certification is carried out by the federal Minister of the Environment or a delegated authority. Ecologically sensitive lands are areas or sites that currently or could, at some point in the future, contribute significantly to the conservation of Canada’s biodiversity and environmental heritage. 

Learn more about ecological gifts, here.