How do conservation easements affect property rights?
Every landowner holds certain rights related to the use of their land and its resources. Historically, the law has allowed some of these rights (such as mineral rights) to be transferred to other parties. A conservation easement transfers the development rights on a property to another entity, who is then prohibited from exercising that right by the terms of the easement. The landowner still owns the land and retains all other rights not specifically prohibited by the conservation easement.
