Landowners

Conservation Easements in Ontario

Protecting your land for future generations

What is conservation easement?

A Conservation Easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a conservation organization such as Ducks Unlimited Canada.

It provides an opportunity to permanently conserve an area of land. In the agreement, the landowner continues to own the land while agreeing to protect certain conservation values of the property and restricting agreed upon uses. This protects the natural features of the land and supports native plants and wildlife.

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What you need to know about Conservation Easements in Ontario

A Conservation Easement with Ducks Unlimited Canada is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and Ducks Unlimited Canada. The agreement conserves the land permanently.
Ownership of the land covered by a Conservation Easement remains with the owner.
The landowner retains all rights and responsibilities for the property. This includes control of public access to the property, as well as responsibility for ownership obligations such as taxes.
The landowner agrees to prohibit activity that interferes with the natural values protected in the agreement. This could include activity such as development, clearing, aggregate extraction or severance of the land.
The Conservation Easement allows for compatible land uses, as defined in the agreement. These can include activities such as haying, grazing, timber harvesting, hunting, and other low impact activities.
The landowner agrees to grant access to Ducks Unlimited Canada staff for easement monitoring purposes.
The Conservation Easement is registered on title and will bind future landowners to the same land use restrictions.
A Conservation Easement agreement can reduce the value of your land. The landowners are compensated for this reduction.

Landowners are highly encouraged to seek their own legal and financial advice before signing an agreement.

Ready to explore how a Conservation Easement can work for you?

Our land securement team can help you explore what conservation options fit your goals

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