It is no secret that I am an unabashed tree hugger. I know the term carries some negative connotations, but considering the importance of trees, I am willing to carry that. I’ve planted hundreds of trees over my lifetime and now doing a reforestation project on our farm. It has been a way for me to put my values into action. 

Many years ago, I joined the Ontario Woodlot Association and I have learned a lot from this organization. Boasting 21 chapters across the province, they have great field trips all over Ontario and they also publish a regular print magazine, The Ontario Woodlander, as well as a monthly e-newsletter. Founded in 1992, the organization lists its values as supporting woodlots that are “sustainable and productive, ecologically healthy and diverse, and spiritually and physically renewing.” Their Mission Statement is “Helping each other to become the best possible stewards of our woodlands.”

Members of the Association own and manage woodlots and the Association believes that private landowners play a key role in sustaining healthy forests in Ontario. There are many benefits to becoming a member including the Woodlot Buy and Sell Marketplace and Forest Service Provider directory, being part of a community and learning through many forest stewardship workshops and events, and the ability to be part of many of the OWA programs. 

One of the articles that caught my eye in The Ontario Woodlander Issue 116, Fall 2024, is titled “Can I Protect My Woodlot Forever?” by Olivia Foster, Kawartha Chapter. 

Foster writes about land trusts, types of protections, as well as the pros and cons of conservation easement agreements. “The Couchiching Conservancy is a charitable non-profit land trust supported by people who want to ensure pristine land and habitat are safeguarded for the future. As of April 2024, nearly 15,000 acres of land in the region have been protected.” 

As government focus changes with every election, there is increasing competition for land use between food production, living space, and industrial uses. Attention to the natural environment can become almost an afterthought. 

I think about it not only from a woodlot protection perspective, but also for farmland in general. While we believe that the land that we own is under our control, the past year has shown otherwise. Ontario residents have witnessed the fragility of that understanding as farmers in Wilmot township are still in a fight to prevent their land from being expropriated for development. 

The Ontario Farmland Trust (OFT) is one of several organizations concerned with protecting land from development. From their website, it says that “in the past 35 years, Ontario has lost 2.8 million acres (18 per cent) of its farmland to non-agricultural land uses like urbanization and aggregate mining.” OFT’s mission is “to protect and preserve Ontario farmlands and associated agricultural, natural and cultural landscapes of food production for the benefit of Ontarians today and future generations.”  As farmers living in one of the most productive regions in Canada, we know the importance of the land for growing food. Once it is paved over, getting it back is next to impossible.  

There are different levels of protection for land: easement agreements are, according to OFT “private, legal contracts that are negotiated between property owners and OFT, and then registered on the property title." These agreements are the most permanent tools available to ensure the land remains dedicated to the uses determined within the easement and apply to all owners in the future. 

Easements also do not affect the ownership of the land with owners remaining free to buy and sell it as they wish. Every land easement agreement is unique, and they can even be used to ensure the land remains affordable for succeeding generations of farmers. Easements can be applied to portions of the land or an entire property. Farmland Easement Agreements do not require municipal or provincial approvals and are part of the Conservation Land Act. 

Conservation easements are more focused on preserving land in a more natural state to benefit communities and the environment. The Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA) is an organization “committed to conserving and caring for natural lands for the benefit of communities and the environment.” The OLTA is concerned with protecting biodiversity, climate resilience, farmland conservation, land stewardship, and clean water. 

Taking it one step further, land ownership is referred to as “fee simple.” Land can be donated to a trust, in which case the trust holds the title for the land and from then on is responsible for it. In the case of OFT, farmers can donate their land and work with OFT to remain living there for the remainder of their lives and still receive the tax benefits. An easement applied prior to donation will guarantee the land will only be used for purposes outlined in the legal document. 

Entering into these agreements is not something people do without a great deal of dedication and passion. The process itself can take years and there is a considerable amount of patience required. However, they are tools to consider for people concerned with preserving the land and environment now and in the future. 
See fightforfarmland.com, olta.ca,  or ontariofarmlandtrust.ca.