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Eco-Gifts require specialized legal counsel
Edmonton, AB., March 27, 2007—An increasing number of Albertans are considering donations of conservation easements for both practical financial reasons, and because they care about the environment and want to leave a living legacy now and in the future.
A conservation easement (CE) is a legal agreement between a landowner and a qualified conservation organization such as Ducks Unlimited Canada that conserves an area of land in perpetuity.
Most landowners will want to consult a lawyer, accountant and/or financial advisor before they sign a conservation easement agreement. They need to know whether their property rights will be respected, what happens when the land is sold or passed on as an inheritance, and whether the CE donation has financial and tax advantages.
Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and the Environmental Law Centre (ELC) have partnered in the compilation of an information kit that focuses on the legal and financial issues related to CE agreements. The kit contains a research paper, checklist and reference list prepared by Jason Unger, ELC’s Staff Counsel; a Q & A that covers commonly asked questions; a CE fact sheet; and an overview of CE related financial alternatives. This kit has been mailed to the provincial and regional bar associations and 400 law firms in Alberta, and is available on request to other lawyers by calling ELC at (780) 424-5099 or DUC at (780) 489-2002.
Unger toured Alberta in Fall 06 and Winter 07 to speak at regional bar association meetings and to other organizations about eco-gifts such as conservation easements.
To request a presentation or get further information, contact:
Jason Unger
Environmental Law Centre
(780) 424-5099
junger@elc.ab.ca
Ducks Unlimited Canada
(403) 328-3529
d_watson@ducks.ca
