13/10/2005 - The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of the Environment, today announced the 10th anniversary of Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program upon the celebration of the donation of Grant’s Woods by local landowner, William Grant, to the Couchiching Conservancy.

“Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program, which provides income tax incentives to encourage private or corporate landowners to protect ecologically sensitive lands, is a perfect illustration of how to use market-based instruments to protect our natural capital,” said Minister Dion. “Canadians’ health and our economic prosperity are fundamentally linked to the quality of our environment. It is with programs such as this one that Canada will successfully implement Project Green, the broad environmental vision that links Canada’s economic competitiveness and prosperity to a sustainable future.”

Ecological gifts can be donations of land (outright title) or certain interests in land, including conservation covenants, easements and servitudes. Donors can choose to give their ecological gifts to an approved conservation charity, federal, provincial, or local government agency.

For their ecological gift, corporate donors may deduct the amount of their gift directly from their taxable income. Individual ecological gift donors receive a non-refundable income tax credit of 16 per cent of the first $200 and 29 per cent on amounts over $200. In addition, in comparison to regular charitable donations, there is no income limit for calculating the tax credit, and half the taxable capital gains. In most provinces and territories related provincial and territorial income tax benefits are also available.

“Ecological gifts enable Canadians to contribute to the stewardship of Canada’s diverse natural capital,” said Minister Dion. “Since the program’s inception in 1995, Canadians have donated 462 ecological gifts, protecting over 40,000 hectares of ecologically sensitive land, valued at over $125 million. What’s more, over one-third of those ecological gifts contain habitats designated as having national or provincial importance and many include rare or threatened habitats for species at risk.”

Grant’s Woods is 21 hectares in size and now protects a valuable diverse, mature upland forest in perpetuity. Its recipient, the Couchiching Conservancy, established in 1993, is a community-based land trust in Orillia, Ontario, and an active ecological gift recipient. It is a leading member of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance.

The Ecological Gifts Program was first established in 1995 through improvements to the Income Tax Act. Subsequent improvements were made in 1997, 1998 and 2000. The majority of ecological gifts have been made subsequent to the enhancements provided by Budget 2000. For more information on this program, visit http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/ecogifts/intro_e.cfm.

Project Green is a set of policies and programs aimed at supporting a sustainable environment, healthy population and competitive economy. It addresses environmental and competitiveness issues for the 21st century including measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to increase fuel and energy efficiency and to increase Canadian and foreign markets for environmental technologies that can drive our economy and protect our environment and health. Through Project Green’s policies and programs, Canada can set an international example by developing effective model solutions for the long-term health of the planet.