• AFCC Part of New Book Focused on the Successes of 17 Land Trusts

    Sheila Harrington is an author, sailor, environmental advocate, and friend to American Friends of Canadian Conservation (AFCC). In her recent book Voices for the Islands, Sheila chronicles the creation of local nature conservancies, and the people behind them, on 17 islands on the Salish Sea from the 1990s to the present day. AFCC had the pleasure of being involved in some of these conservation projects.

    Learn More

  • New IRS Regulations Affecting Easement and Land Donations

    In October 2024, the IRS passed new regulations with respect to land and easement donations made by pass-through entities such as limited liability corporations and certain partnerships and trusts.

    Learn More

  • Help Nature Trust of British Columbia Protect Cortes Island - Manson Bay Forest!

    One of our partners, Nature Trust of British Columbia, needs your help to raise the final $408,000 to protect 35.7 acres (14.4 hectares) of sensitive forested wildlife habitat on Cortes Island, a jewel in the Discovery Islands.

    Learn More

  • 2024 Canadian Federal Budget Includes Changes to Capital Gains Tax

    On April 16, 2024, the Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance introduced the federal budget for 2024. Among many components, the budget includes a proposed change to Canadian capital gains taxes. Generally speaking, these proposed changes would likely have an effect on many people who own Canadian property (other than a principal residence), especially those who have owned their property for a period of time during which the value of the property has appreciated significantly.

    Learn More

  • Do you own property in Canada? If so, you may be able to save money

    By offering US donors who support Canadian conservation the opportunity to make their gifts of land or interests in land, cash and securities tax deductible, American Friends of Canadian Conservation is helping Canadian conservation organizations increase the pace and sustainability of land protection north of the border.

    Conservation Lands Program

  • Save Some Green

    U.S. taxpayers who own natural lands in Canada are often interested in transferring their property to the next generation of family members and/or permanently protecting their lands in Canada. In both cases, conservation can be a valuable legal and financial strategy. There are tax incentives in both the U.S. and Canada to encourage conservation of priority natural lands in Canada.

    Download Save Some Green; A handbook for U.S. taxpayers
123456

American Friends of Canadian Conservation protects Canada’s magnificent natural legacy through its innovative and effective partnerships.

Link to: News

Americans interested in donating their Canadian land or a partial interest can accomplish both their conservation and estate planning objectives through a gift to American Friends of Canadian Conservation.

Canadian conservation leaders report that in prime vacation areas such as the Maritimes, Great Lakes’ island country and British Columbia’s Gulf Islands some of the most ecologically significant land is owned by US citizens. Many of these properties are part of multi-generational family traditions that link our two countries.

Conservation-oriented Americans are often familiar with land trusts that operate in the US and therefore recognize that donating land or a conservation easement can provide both personal satisfaction and positive financial results. The aging of the baby-boom generation means that many families are engaged in estate planning. According to a 2002 Wall Street Journal article by Jeffrey Zaslow, “Vacation home ownership rose 13% in the 1990s, to 3.5 million homes. Today, one out of every seven homeowners over age 65 also owns a second home that must be factored into their estates.”

Learn More About Cross Border Conservation

Canadian Partners

American Friends of Canadian Conservation exists to help our conservation colleagues achieve their objectives by increasing the level of funding available for land conservation and by partnering to complete donations of ecologically significant land and easements from US-based landowners who wish to avail themselves of US tax benefits while ensuring that their contribution of appreciated property is not subject to Canadian capital gains tax.

Accomplishing our mission through these activities requires AFCC to comply with laws, statutes and tax regulations in both countries. Some of the best legal minds and most experienced conservation professionals worked for more than a decade to establish the system, policies and procedures that make AFCCs’ partnerships and successes possible, now and in the future.

Learn More