Renewal Land Company is working with The Land Conservancy of British Columbia and The Nature Trust of British Columbia to steward and protect our forestlands in perpetuity. Conservation covenants will be used on all of our properties in order to preserve forest ecosystems and biodiversity, including wildlife habitat, streams, wetlands, sensitive areas and unique features, and to restore and maintain old-growth forests.

Conservation covenants are one way that private landowners can ensure long-term protection for ecological values on their land, even once they are no longer the owner of the land. Conservation covenants help preserve natural, heritage and cultural features by restricting the uses, development or practices that are permitted on the land.

Conservation covenants are legally binding agreements between a landowner and a designated land trust organization. They are registered on title to the land, and they remain in effect even if the land is sold or transferred, binding all future owners of the land to the terms of the covenant.

BC landowners who wish to place conservation covenants on their land can choose from many organizations permitted to hold covenants. Some organizations, such as The Land Conservancy of BC, are permitted to hold covenants throughout the province. Other, smaller organizations typically hold covenants in a particular region.

There are two parts to each conservation covenant. The first part is the "legal instrument", and it specifies the rules and restrictions on use of the land that will apply to the property. The legal rules and restrictions reflect the conservation objectives of the covenant, and are based in part on information from a baseline assessment. Landowners who wish to place a conservation covenant on their property work with a conservancy organization, to design rules and restrictions that accurately reflect the wishes of both the landowner and the covenant holder.

The second part of a conservation covenant is a Baseline Report, which summarizes the condition of the property at the time of sale. The Baseline Report is used as a reference point to make sure the landowner is complying with the requirements of the covenant, and so that the conservancy and the landowner can record changes in the condition of the land over time. The Baseline Report includes a description of ecological features on the property (e.g. streams, wetlands, tree species, plan communities, rare or endangered ecosystems) as well as a summary of physical characteristics, such as topography and human-engineered features (roads, hydro lines etc.). The Baseline Report also includes maps and photos of the property.

Click here here to see what a Baseline Report for the RLC properties looks like. Baseline reports for all our properties are included in the appropriate conservation covenants, available for downloading from this website.

For more detailed information on conservation covenants and how they can be used to protect ecosystems, visit:

In 2001, Weyerhaeuser made the decision to sell their private forestlands on Cortes Island. In a unique and unprecedented move, Weyerhaeuser committed to placing limited conservation covenants on their Cortes lands prior to finalizing any sales. This decision was made in part to help protect sensitive ecosystems on these properties and respect the wishes of many in the Cortes community to see a higher level of forest protection.

Renewal Land Company has dramatically increased the extent of forestland that is protected under these covenants, in addition to adding extensive provisions to govern land use and conservation. The Siskin Lane conservation covenants are held by The Land Conservancy of BC. Highlights of the covenants include:

Click here to see the official Siskin Lane Conservation Covenant.
Click here to see the official Regional Park Conservation Covenant.
Click here to see the official Conservation Covenant for LOT A.
Click here to see the official Conservation Covenant for LOT B.
Click here to see the official Conservation Covenant for the Gorge West property.

If you have questions about these covenants, contact us.