Honourable colleagues, I rise today to speak to Bill C-63, the second budget implement act of 2017.

I will be brief. I will speak to Part 1 of the act, which concerns income tax provisions related to the Ecological Gifts Program.

Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program, administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada, allows landowners to donate their ecologically valuable land, or a partial interest in that land, to a recipient organization, such as a nature conservation group, in exchange for tax incentives. These organizations are then responsible for the long-term management of the land according to the principles of conservation.

In 2010, Canada made a commitment to protect at least 17 per cent of land by 2020. At present, only 100 million hectares, about 7 per cent, are protected. I know that Senator Griffin, a conservationist and Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, shares my concern that the goal of protecting a further 10 per cent of land by 2020 will be a challenging target, but it is one that we must attain.

A number of Canadian conservation groups circulated a letter last week asking senators and MPs to sign. The letter urges the government to support historic investment to protect Canada’s land, fresh water and oceans. I will be signing this petition, as it will be a real and concrete gift to Canada on its one hundred and fiftieth anniversary.

Ecological gifts, or eco gifts, played an important role in habitat conservation and protection for species at risk by conserving land in its natural state. Each piece of land is unique, and it is a privilege that Canadians are able to make these generous donations. Since 1995, more than 180,000 hectares of grasslands, forests, wetlands and shorelines have been protected across Canada through this program. This land has an estimated value of $107 million, although we truly cannot put a price on nature.

Some of the benefits of eco gifts are in the preserved areas themselves. For example, bogs or forests act as carbon sinks, helping to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide, a key concern in a warming world. Donations of critical tracts of land could also help to conserve wildlife corridors, areas which are not separated by fences, roads and urban areas that cause habitat fragmentation. Corridors protect at-risk species of migratory birds and mammals, which are increasingly prone to the negative impacts of human development.

Incentivizing landowners to donate their land as eco gifts could positively contribute to protecting Canada’s ecosystems, habitats for species at risk and natural areas, protecting and preserving the land in perpetuity for generations to come.

The proposed changes to the Ecological Gifts Program in this act are generally supported by conservation groups, as they add strength and clarity to the program. However, an observation to be made is the treatment of eco-gifted land in the event of a bankruptcy. Because of the beneficial good of the eco gift in terms of land conservation and species preservation, the land itself should be protected from creditors.

Dear senators, who among us does not wish to ensure our children enjoy the views and sound of birds in quiet and calm lakes and forests? Despite our busy city lives, we all require moments of peace where we can appreciate and delight in the stunning natural beauty of Canada. Eco gifts are important, as they bring nature closer to us.