How does the conservation restriction affect my property rights?
Landowners still hold title to their property and enjoy all the rights of ownership, such as the right to sell the property, lease the land, leave it to their heirs, control public access, the right to privacy, and so forth. The restriction is perpetual and runs with the land and is binding on future owners. Under the terms of a conservation restriction, the property cannot be used in a manner that significantly impairs the actual or potential use of the property as forestland or as open space land (or significantly impairs other conservation values identified in the restriction). EQLT encourages good land stewardship and the restriction provides for a “Best Management Practices” standard and general operating guidelines for forest and agricultural management. EQLT does not dictate specific management prescriptions to the landowner.
