The Centre for Land Conservation is focused on highlighting the capabilities of and building confidence in community-based land conservation organizations and professionals by developing tools and certification for high-ambition organizations pursuing better, faster, durable conservation.
As the caretakers of the Canadian Land Trust Standards and Practices the CLC works to strengthen the land conservation sector to support the growth of respectful land conservation and stewardship backed by a performance assurance program.
Canadian Land Trust Standards & Practices
About The Canadian Land Trust Standards & Practices (CLTSP) are the ethical and technical guidelines for land trusts in Canada. When supported by a verification program, CLT S&P can provide a means to validate the quality of an organization's work, enhance credibility and build public, investor, and government trust.
History
The Land Trust Standards and Practices (S&P) were developed by the U.S. Land Trust Alliance in 1989. In 2005, the CLTSP were created based on the U.S. S&Ps and adapted to suit the Canadian context. While the Canadian Land Trust Standards and Practices are designed primarily for land trusts with charitable status, they also provide important guidance for any organization or government agency that holds land or conservation agreements for the benefit of the public.
CLC License
The Centre for Land Conservation (CLC) is the only official licensee for the CLTSP.
Conservation Excellence Certification
About the Conservation Excellence Certification program
Conservation organizations require strong and effective governance, finances, policies, and programs to achieve lasting success. The Conservation Excellence Certification™ program supports individual organizations in their quest for excellence.
Certification is modeled on proven accreditation systems, with qualified assessors ensuring an organization's alignment with the Canadian Land Trust Standards & Practices. In the United States, accredited land trusts have seen significant increases in protected lands, revenue, and volunteer engagement. Recent polling shows that 83% of Canadian donors prefer to support certified organizations. As the custodian of the Standards and Practices, CLC is also collaborating with Indigenous experts to review them in relation to the perspective of traditional knowledge.
CLC is currently accepting applications from land trusts to participate in Conservation Excellence Certification .
Current Phase
Following an extensive consultation process with Canadian land trusts, we are thrilled to announce the soft launch of the Performance Assurance Program. In May 2023, the pilot commenced involving and initial group of Canadian land trusts.
We are eager to collaborate with the program participants by offering tailored training, support, and expert guidance to address specific organizational needs.
Interested in joining the Conservation Excellence certification program? Please Fill out our Expression of interest form.
We are also seeking volunteer experts to contribute their knowledge in assessing organizations and providing advice. If you're an expert in conservation-related areas, we'd love to hear from you. Please submit your information via our volunteer form here.
Together, we can elevate conservation efforts and secure a sustainable future for Canada's invaluable lands.