What responsibilities does the land trust assume?
Landowners convey to the land trust the right to preserve and protect the conservation values identified in the easement. The easement conveys to the land trust the right—with proper advance notification—to enter the property (usually once a year), and monitor its condition. If violations of the agreement occur, the land trust as a final resort has the legal right to obtain a court order prohibiting a violation and requiring restoration of damaged property. This power insures that the landowner’s (the original grantor) desires as spelled out in the easement will be enforced in perpetuity. Mutual respect and shared objectives almost always lead to the satisfactory resolution of misunderstandings without legal action.
