- Maintain regular contact with owners of conservation agreement properties to maintain relationships and avoid potential agreement conflicts.
- Establish systems to track changes in land ownership.
- When the property changes hands, attempt to meet with the new owner or property manager to ensure the new owner obtains:
- A copy of the conservation agreement documents
- Information in writing about the conservation agreement
- Copies of the land trust’s stewardship policies and procedures
Background
Landowner contact has always been a part of the Canadian Land Trust Standards and Practices, but land trusts are increasingly realizing that developing strong relationships with landowners is the best way to help provide for good stewardship of the land and avoid potential conservation agreement conflicts. This practice is expanded to address the need to build relationships with existing and new owners of lands with conservation agreements and the managers of such land. Maintaining contact with landowners, who have granted you conservation agreements, is as important as or more important than establishing relationships with new landowners. Landowner relationships should ideally extend beyond once-a-year contact during a monitoring visit, and may include newsletters and updates, special workshops or other events. Land trusts may refer landowners to individuals who can help with the property’s natural resource management. Every land trust should have a person (staff or volunteer) assigned to respond to landowner requests or inquiries about their conservation agreements. These staff or volunteers should also be trained on how to work with landowners.
Land trusts should have processes and practices in place that address changes in ownership. Conservation agreements should require the landowner to notify the land trust of an impending sale or transfer of property. Land trusts should also ensure that they educate new landowners of the terms of the conservation agreement. New owners should also be provided with a copy of the conservation agreement, baseline documentation report and all monitoring reports.