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Land Conservancy plan to divest eco-properties hits voting snag

The Land Conservancy of British Columbia is stuck in an internal quagmire and will likely seek a hand from the Supreme Court of B.C., which has the authority to determine the next move.

The Land Conservancy of British Columbia is stuck in an internal quagmire and will likely seek a hand from the Supreme Court of B.C., which has the authority to determine the next move.

A meeting last week to amend the non-profit organization’s bylaw that would permit it to divest itself of much of its property ended with what is probably an invalid vote, said John Shields, director of operations.

At the meeting, it was learned that the agency’s constitution contained contradictions over permitted proxy voting. Eventually, a vote was held among members attending the meeting. But the final count ended up with five more votes than there were people at the meeting, Shields said. About 80 people attended.

Also, a number of members expressed concern about the amendment wording, fearing that the 77-acre eco-forest Wildwood, near Cedar, would be included in the plan.

Members were told that the intention is to work with the Ecoforestry Institute Society with the goal of establishing a special trust for that property. However, concerns remained about that site’s future.

Shields said that the Land Conservancy’s lawyers will be consulted about the vote. He said it is “highly likely” the matter may well go back to the court to decide on the proposal to divest itself of properties.

The Victoria-based conservation group has been in protection from creditors since 2013. Its debt stands at about $8 million. It is striving to pay off creditors and to transfer or sell most of its properties around the province to other non-profit conservation or caretaker organizations. The proposed bylaw change would have allowed that to occur, but some members feared it was going too far.

Part of the Land Conservancy’s plan would see it transfer 28 of its ecologically sensitive properties to the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Nature Trust of B.C. The two trusts would give the Land Conservancy $1.5 million.