Conservation Options
ORLT protects land
primarily through conservation agreements (often referred to as
conservation easements).
Conservation easements allow landowners to continue to enjoy their
private property while agreeing not to develop their land or otherwise
harm the value of the protected area.
Conservation agreements are an attractive option to a
growing number of landowners across the country for a number of reasons:
·
Conservation agreements are
flexible.
Protected land can still often
be used in a variety of ways.
For example, farmland protected by a conservation agreement can
still be used for farming and sustainable timber harvesting of
forestland is permitted.
Structures and building sites are usually permitted while still
preserving the rest of the land.
·
Conservation agreements are
private.
Protected private land is
still yours to be bought, sold, inherited, and privately enjoyed.
Land protected with a conservation agreement does
not allow public access.
·
Conservation agreements have
tax benefits.
Protecting your land can
reduce your income taxes and/or estate taxes.
·
Conservation agreements, and
the land trusts behind them, are permanent.
A conservation agreement is
binding forever, meaning it
runs with the land, no matter who owns it.
Once an agreement is signed, ORLT takes on the responsibility to
ensure that the terms of the agreement are being followed.
As an alternative, some landowners decide to donate
their land to ORLT outright for use as a publicly accessible nature
preserve. This approach, in
which ORLT owns and manages the land, can have tax benefits for a
landowner as well.
Fact Sheet: Frequently Asked Questions About Land Conservation
Fact Sheet: Conservation Easements
Fact Sheet: Steps in the Land Conservation Process
Brochure (Land Trust Alliance): Enhanced Federal Tax Incentives