How do conservation easements work?
When you own land, you also “own” many rights associated with it. These property rights include the rights to harvest timber, build structures, and grow crops, and so on, subject to zoning and other restrictions. When you grant a conservation easement to the Conservancy, you permanently give up some of those rights and retain other rights. For example, you might give up the right to build additional residences while retaining the right to grow crops or harvest timber. Future owners are also bound by the easement’s terms. Conservation easements can be used to protect a wide variety of land including farms, forests, wildlife habitat, and properties with scenic views. Conservation easements are drafted in a detailed legal agreement that outlines the rights and restrictions on the owner’s uses of the property and the responsibilities of the landowner and the Conservancy. The landowner and the Conservancy tailor the easement terms to protect the land’s conservation values and to meet the ne
