What is the role of conservation easements in land management?

Conservation easements play a crucial role in land management by restricting land development and protecting natural resources. This legal agreement between a landowner and a conservation organization or government agency allows landowners to maintain ownership of their land while ensuring that specific conservation values are upheld.

By placing limitations on development, conservation easements help to preserve critical habitats, open spaces, and biodiversity, while also preventing urban sprawl and degradation of natural landscapes. These easements can protect forests, wetlands, rivers, and other important ecological features, thereby fostering a sustainable balance between human activity and environmental conservation.

This approach supports conservation goals that contribute to environmental health, improve ecosystem services, and enable wildlife to thrive. In contrast, options that focus on promoting unrestricted land use or increasing property value do not align with the foundational purpose of conservation easements, which is inherently about protecting the land and its resources for future generations.