PURCHASE AND PROTECT LAND IN THE CORRIDOR

An investment in biodiversity, banking it for future generations, whilst retaining ownership of the land, restoring it and increasing its value with associated tax benefits.

BACKGROUND

National Geographic predicts 1 million of the planet’s land dwelling animals and plants will be driven to extinction by 2050. The planet is estimated to have 8.5 million living species.

Fragmentation of the landscape is the greatest cause of loss of biodiversity and its associated ecosystems and services such as water and food production, control of climate and disease, crop pollination, nutrient cycles and recreational benefits.

Natural Corridors mitigate fragmentation in the landscape and thereby reduce the rate of bio-diversity loss by allowing for free movement of animals and plants.

The Eden to Addo Vision is to link three mega-reserves, namely the Garden Route National Park, The Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve and the Addo Elephant National Park by means of natural corridors to protect and restore the integrity of bio-diversity and ecosystem functioning as well as meeting the challenges posed by climate change. The corridor is 400km in extent and stretches from Knysna in the south-west to Addo Elephant National Park in the north-east.

Currently 16.5% (20 million hectares) of South Africa’s land mass is formally protected( Zambia 30%, Netherlands 19%). The 2030 year target, in line with the rest of the world, is 30%. To achieve this target an additional 13.35% of the land mass of South Africa (16.2 million hectares) must be protected in the next 7 years.  

80% of biodiversity that is critical to conserve is on private land. E2A is actively engaged in co-opting willing landowners within critical natural corridors linking protected areas, to sign biodiversity stewardship agreements such as Conservancies, Biodiversity Agreements, Protected Environments (PE) and Contractual Nature Reserves in co-operation with CapeNature, SANParks and East Cape Parks and Tourism Agency in terms of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas (NEM:PA) Act 2003 ( Act No 57 of 2003)

E2A has negotiated Protected Area declarations:

In terms of Sections 23 and 28 of the National Environmental Management: Protected Area (NEM:PA) Act (Act No 57 of 2003)

• A 40 000ha “Protected Environment” in the SpringbokvlakteCorridor area linking Addo Elephant National Park to Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site

• A 580ha “Nature Reserve” in the Skilderkrantz Heights Corridor linking Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site to Formosa Nature Reserve.

• A 850ha “Protected Environment” in the Robberg Coastal Corridor linking the Garden Route National Park to Robberg Nature Reserve, 1st phase

• A 7 800ha “Nature Reserve” in the Skilderkrantz Heights Corridor, linking Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site to Formosa Nature Reserve .

E2A is in the process of negotiating the declaration of:

• A 200ha “Protected Environment” in the Robberg Coastal Corridor linking the Garden Route National Park to Robberg Nature Reserve, 2nd phase

• A 7 900ha block of “Nature Reserves” in the Keurbooms River Corridor (phase 1) – connecting the Western section of the Garden Route National Park to the Eastern section of the Tsitsikamma National Park

E2A is therefore responsible for adding 50,000ha of privately owned land to the national conservation area, through biodiversity stewardship. A significant contribution to the national target.

You can contribute to, and at the same time enjoy, conserving biodiversity by investing in one of the land parcels within the corridor areas.

HOW WE AIM TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVE

We seek to thoroughly research and identify land rich in biodiversity where landowners are willing to enter into contractual nature reserve agreements thereby creating a system of protected properties linking formally Protected Areas forming a natural corridor for the effective movement of all species. Within the corridors, land parcels not yet declared nature reserves may become available for sale in which case we will offer them to investors. We will negotiate with conservation agencies on behalf of the investor to have the property declared a nature reserve and prepare management plans, which the investor then stewards.

SUITABLE FOR INVESTORS WHO

• have an interest in wilderness, conservation and biodiversity

• are prepared to declare the property purchased a nature reserve

• are prepared to manage the land as set out in the management plan associated with the nature reserve

• seek exposure to long term capital growth, as biodiversity is restored

• are comfortable with fluctuations in property prices in the short and medium term

• have an investment horizon of 10 years or more

IN SUMMARY

An investment in biodiversity, banking it for future generations, whilst retaining ownership of the land, restoring it and increasing its value with associated tax benefits.