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Guidelines for Conservation Easement Amendments, Waivers, and Letters of Interpretation

Conservation easements are intended to last—to ensure protection of important resources, no matter people’s whims—through the decades and centuries. However, the world changes and so do understandings of how best to meet conservation objectives. A land trust must be prepared to address these changes in order to ensure that its conservation work is effective while assuring its supporters and the public that it is a reliable agent of conservation. This resource serves as a guide to responsible decision-making regarding potential amendments of grants of conservation easement. WeConservePA guide. 20 pages.

The guidelines, first published in 2014 as a “model and guide,” were modestly updated in 2017 to address changes to Land Trust Standards and Practices and the latest WeConservePA research. They were updated in 2022 to address a change in Pennsylvania law pertaining to condemnation. In 2024, they were reframed to serve as guidelines to accompany a separate, brief amendment policy. Andrew M. Loza is the author. Justin Hollinger, Esq., provided legal review and editing for the 2024 edition. Patricia L. Pregmon, Esq., provided legal review of the 2017 and 2014 editions.