An Overview of Conservation Easements

​Conservation has become an important subject in modern America, which has lost an average of 1.8 million acres of farmable land annually since 2015. The American Farmland Trust reports a figure closer to three million acres, on top of the tens of thousands of acres of coastal wetlands lost annually. There are several ways to protect land in America, including conservation easements.

A conservation agreement is a legal agreement made between the United States government and private landowners to limit land use. The specifics of these conservation-focused agreements vary depending on several factors, including the property owner’s intentions for the land and the local environment’s conservation status. Common examples include prohibiting landowners from draining wetlands or turning grasslands into cropland.

Conservation easements provide many benefits as a legal tool for protecting American lands. The easement is legally binding but allows landowners to retain property rights and receive economic benefits from the land. An easement does not necessarily mean that lands will be open to public use. Individuals can take advantage of additional tax benefits if they donate an easement.

Bobby George

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