How do land trusts preserve land?
Land trusts protect land permanently and directly through donations or purchases of land, and through mutually beneficial agreements with landowners. One common tool is the conservation easement that permanently restricts a property’s use. Other tools include several methods of land donations, bargain sales of land, and public-private partnerships. Land trusts are experts at navigating the complicated legal and financial issues involved in land preservation. Many transactions offer income, estate, or property tax benefits that help make conservation affordable and desirable for private property owners. Land trusts are not adversarial, but they work cooperatively with landowners and government agencies.
