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"},"content":{"rendered":"Shifting property tax from private land with high conservation value to regions with lower conservation value could help the Canadian government meet its conservation targets – without taking a hit to tax revenue. A new study paper explores the concept of such “tax-shifting” as a way to maximize the efficiency of conservation investments in highly populated areas. The study looked at BC biodiversity hotspots like\u00a0southern Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the Georgia Basin, 80% of which are under private ownership. Authors suggest that increasing the property tax of lands less crucial for conservation by 0.5%, and eliminating property tax from private yet highly valuable lands completely, would go a long way in conserving at-risk species at a lower cost, by giving land owners an incentive to allow conservation efforts on their land.<\/p>\n
Authors:<\/strong><\/p>\n Richard Schuster, Elizabeth A. Law, Amanda D. Rodewald, Tara G. Martin, Kerrie A. Wilson, Matthew Watts, Hugh P. Possingham, Peter Arcese<\/p>\n Corresponding author:<\/strong><\/p>\n Richard Schuster, Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, BC, Email:\u00a0mail@richard-schuster.com<\/a><\/p>\n