BC incentives for ecosystem conservation and the North Saanich municipality
| dc.contributor.author | Goodarzi, Shukooh | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-11-07T21:17:26Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-11-07T21:17:26Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.description | UVic Sustainability Scholars Program Final Report | |
| dc.description.abstract | Conservation on private lands in British Columbia is often driven by financial incentives. Section 42.1 of the BC Taxation Act enables municipalities to offer property tax reductions for land formally dedicated to conservation. A notable example is the Highlands Municipality, which provides up to 75% tax relief for properties with ecological covenants covering more than 0.5 hectares. Since 2023, this policy has safeguarded 238 hectares across 42 properties (Highlands Municipality, 2023). The Highlands model uses a tiered Ecological Value Score (EVS) system, where tax discounts are calibrated based on biodiversity metrics assessed by qualified biologists. Provincially, Section 4.1 of the Income Tax Act (RSBC 1996, c.215) supports this approach through income tax credits, although uptake remains limited due to certification complexities. Federally, the Ecological Gifts Program, administered by the Canada Revenue Agency, has eliminated $1.2 million in capital gains taxes for landowners in the Capital Regional District (CRA, 2025). 1.2 Technical and Regulatory Support Beyond taxation, practical support plays a pivotal role in encouraging conservation. Under Section 14 of the Environmental Management Act, nine CRD municipalities operate volunteer teams to remove invasive species from private lands. Saanich’s $38,000 annual investment restored 12.5 hectares in 2023, achieving 89% native plant recovery (CRD, 2024). Victoria’s similar program, leveraging volunteers, reduced costs by 27%. Additionally, stewardship planning grants under Section 481 of the Local Government Act have shown success when properly resourced. The Galiano Conservancy saw a 38% increase in covenant participation following the implementation of $5,000 grants (GCA, 2023). 1.3 Market-Based and Regulatory Tools Regulatory mechanisms, when combined with ecological goals, aim to balance urban growth with environmental protection. Tools like Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) programs allow landowners to sell development density credits in exchange for conserving ecologically valuable land. Authorized under Section 903 of the Local Government Act, TDRs in Saanich and Victoria have enabled 14 transactions since 2021, protecting 32 hectares and generating $420,000 for local conservation trusts (Saanich Planning Department, 2025). Permit fee waivers offer further incentives: for instance, Highlands waives 100% of building permit fees for covenanted land (Highlands Municipality, 2022), while Metchosin offers 50% reductions for riparian restoration projects. The latter policy increased streambank rehabilitation by 40% (Metchosin Council, 2023). | |
| dc.description.scholarlevel | Graduate | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1828/22906 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.subject | ecosystem conservation | |
| dc.subject | private land | |
| dc.subject | North Saanich | |
| dc.subject | incentives | |
| dc.subject | Sustainability Scholars Program | |
| dc.subject.department | School of Environmental Studies | |
| dc.title | BC incentives for ecosystem conservation and the North Saanich municipality | |
| dc.type | Report |