What a conservation easement does — and doesn't.
A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement that permanently limits certain uses of your land to protect its conservation values. You keep ownership. The protection stays with the land forever.
An easement does
- Permanently limit subdivision and development
- Stay with the land through every future sale
- Qualify you for federal and state tax benefits
- Get tailored to your land and your goals
- Get monitored and defended by FPLT forever
An easement doesn't
- Take your land or transfer ownership
- Open your land to the public (unless you choose)
- Prevent reserved farming, ranching, or timber uses
- Follow a one-size-fits-all template
- Expire
The FPLT difference.
The FPLT difference: most land trusts stop at protection. We also ask a second question — is there something this land wants to become? For some owners the answer is "nothing — leave it be." For others it's a trailhead, an outdoor classroom, a community orchard. Either way, the easement makes it permanent.