Conservation Easement
A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency that permanently limits uses of the land in order to protect its conservation values. It allows landowners to continue to own and use their land and sell it or pass it on to heirs.
When you donate or sell and conservation easement to a land trust, like the Superior Watershed Partnership, you give up some of the rights associated with the land. For instance, you might give up the right to build additional structures, while retaining the right to harvest the timber.
A conservation easement:
- is flexible
- runs with the land
- may apply to all or only a portion of the property
