What Is A Conservation Easement?


 A conservation easement is a legal means by which a landowner can voluntarily set permanent limitations on the future use of the land, thus protecting the land's natural qualities. Through an easement, the owner conveys to ORLT the right to prevent certain uses of the land in the future or to use it for specific purposes. The attraction of the conservation easement lies in the fact that the land remains in private ownership. The owner may use, sell, lease or convey the land subject to the explicit terms of the easement, because neither the title nor right to possession of the land is given up by the agreement. The responsibilities and rewards of ownership continue, and, the landowner retains full control over public access just as he did before granting the easement. This widely popular method has been used to protect open space, farms, wildlife areas, forests, watersheds, national parks, ocean frontage, and rare places all over the nation. Recent federal tax legislation helps increase the attractiveness of conservation easements to landowners.

 

ORLT Conservation Easement Projects

CONSERVATION EASEMENTS

Name

Date

 

Location

Acres

Tall Pines

1995

 

Ozark Co., MO

2

Bayyari

1996

 

Fayetteville, AR

60

Hamilton

1997

 

Washington Co., AR

40

Skillern Farm

1997

*

Fayetteville, AR

37

Jackman

1999

 

St. Louis Co., MO

31

Kleo's Place

1999

*

Eureka Springs, AR

2

Pigeon Creek

1999

 

Dent Co., MO

1,939

Hartzog

2000

*

Laclede Co., MO

4,410

Moorman

2000

 

Fayetteville, AR

67

Eagle Mountain

2000

*

Madison Co., AR

40

Oak Hill - Russell

2000

 

Carroll Co., AR

14

Collinwood

2001

 

St. Louis Co., MO

4

Peterson

2002

 

Ozark Co., MO

107

Stevens

2002

 

Washington Co., AR

80

LaMair

2003

 

Taney Co., MO

839

Tucher

2003

*

St. Charles Co., MO

13

Big Rock

2004

 

Madison Co., MO

880

Alford Easements

2005

*

Ozark Co., MO

1,013

Holcim

2005

 

Ste. Genevieve Co., MO

1,897

Kress Farm Garden Preserve

2005

 

Jefferson Co., MO

138

Kirk

2005

 

Salem, MO

17

Bouchard

2006

 

Jefferson Co., MO

104

 

 

 

 

   Total CE Acres:

 

 

 

11,734

 

 

 

 

 

* multiple transactions and/or ongoing project