The creation of MLCS is a story about a giant.
In 2007 I was working as a realtor. I was asked to list a 23.5-acre property for sale. The owner had died and the family needed to clear his estate.
The acreage was south of town; it was a large, forested property with a small bluff in the centre. From the top of the bluff, if you tried really hard, you could catch a glimpse of ocean. Neighbours had used the property for dog walks and the owner had been fine with these small trails through the land.
The owner was elderly when he died, and he had owned the land since the early 1970s. When he bought it, he and his wife had decided not to remove any trees other than those needed for one house, and that house was going to be on the bluff. His wife died before plans turned into action and so the house was never built.
John, the owner, used to travel to the property by motorcycle from the Chicago area, once per year. He would come for the summers and stay at a nearby B&B. It was from the owners of the B&B I received most of the story as they got to know John well.
He would visit and sit upon the bluff, enjoying the natural world around him. Over time, a small footprint of a cabin was built, although the interior furnishings were not small at all. John was almost 7 feet tall, and as such his bed was created extra long and table extra tall. The cabin is still on the B&B property.
And then he died and the forest was for sale. For a whole year it was on the market and I showed it to various families and one logger. It was the logger who put in an offer, but the offer fell through. Finally, after more than a year, an offer arrived from a local neighbour, who said he would just build one house on the land and leave the rest as it is. The sale was done.
Within a month the entire 23.5 acres of forest had gone.
I was upset and wondered why John had not protected his forest with a covenant. Then I realized he probably did not know that was an option. And because of that, I decided to make it easier for locals to know there is an option for the preservation of their land.
Malaspina Land Conservancy was formed in the spring of 2008.
Janet Southcott, Co-Founder, Malaspina Land Conservancy Society
Our family owns a one acre residential property in Powell River, 2/3rds of which is protected under a Conservation Covenant requested by the previous owner, Martin Rossander. This means we cannot cut down the trees, build on or in any way significantly alter a large portion of our Westview property – and we wouldn’t want it any other way.
Why do we love it?
With the support of MLCS, we are preserving the incredible biodiversity of our backyard forest for family and community for generations to come. There are large Douglas Firs, cedars, hemlock, huckleberries, mushrooms, ferns, owls and even the occasional bear to delight the senses – and so much more. Our neighbours have childhood memories of playing in the forest behind our house, are are happy to see that it is still undeveloped. It will remain that way.
While there are stewardship duties involved in maintaining the conservation property (including protecting from invasive plants, assessing and addressing damaged trees, gently encouraging natural biodiversity) – the work is minimal compared to the rewards. There is nothing quite like taking a walk through the deep green peace and fresh air produced by a forest in its natural state to clear the mind, relax and refocus.
Other practical incentives include tax deductions, reduced water run-off and increased privacy. Working with the incredibly knowledgeable, passionate people of MLCS is also great fun! Our quality of life has been immeasurably enhanced by owning land with a covenant on it, and for that we are very grateful.
Justin, Rachel, Neil and Pauline
