Project Summary

There has been a lot of dialogue regarding the application of the conservation easement tool to the Alberta landscape – both the existing use and the potential use. A conservation easement can only be held by a 'qualified organization', and the vast majority of these easements in Alberta are held by 'land trusts' (not-for-profit, charitable land conservation organizations. Yet the discussions, research, and conclusions regarding this tool rarely seem to focus on that cohort.

In the fall of 2025, the Corvus Centre for Conservation Policy surveyed all land trusts operating in Alberta (national, provincial, regional, and local) to develop a data-based picture of conservation easement securement, demand, compensation, funding, landowner attitudes, timelines, and costs.