Conservation Easement Implementation Guides

A Professional's Guide to Conservation Easements

2004
Organizations/Sources: Georgia Land Trust and Chattowah Open Land Trust
A Continuing Education Workshop presented by Georgia Land Trust, this publication is a comprehensive overview of conservation easements and includes sample urban and agricultural easements.
Last Modified
Nov 04, 2015
Viewed
5052 times

A Report on Working Forest Conservation Easements

2000
Organizations/Sources: Nova Scotia Nature Trust
This report summarizes the different approaches and experiences of several land trusts in incorporating forestry into conservation easements. It compares these different approaches and and provides recommendations for the Nova Forest Alliance, including suggestions as to the expertise required on staff, the monitoring demands of working forest easements and how to address them, and the costs involved. It also reviews various guides and manuals for forest management practices, and recommends a set of non-intensive, uneven-aged forest management practices acceptable under a working forest conservation easement.
Last Modified
Jul 25, 2011
Viewed
4724 times

Brandywine Conservancy Easement Project Checklist

Organizations/Sources: Brandywine Conservancy
This detailed checklist for managing conservation easement transactions is a good example of an easement project tracking document.
Last Modified
Nov 04, 2015
Viewed
4733 times

Conservation Easements: A Step by Step Guide

2001
Authors: Phil Auge and Frank Mitchell
This is a a step by step guide to the easement process in New Hampshire, guiding the user through meeting with the landowner and obtaining the required documentation.
Last Modified
Nov 04, 2015
Viewed
4714 times

Conservation Stewardship Transfer Fees

2011
This primer on using private transfer fees in New Hampshire, subtitled "The conservation gifts that keep on giving," explains the need for finding money to cover the long-term monitoring and enforcement obligations of conservation easement and fee land holders. It discusses the use of "Stewardship Transfer Fees" (built into a conservation easement) and "Stewardship Legacy Agreements" (a separate document) as revenue-generating mechanisms. 14 pages.
Last Modified
Nov 04, 2015
Viewed
5232 times

Cost-Effective Strategies for Conserving Private Land: An Economic Analysis for Land Trusts and Policy Makers

2002
This report examines ways of mitigating stewardship or transaction costs associated with conservation easements and recommends a methodology for predicting how much different provisions in conservation easements will cost to steward.
Last Modified
Jul 25, 2011
Viewed
4162 times

Costs of Due Diligence in Conservation Acquisitions

2011
To responsibly accomplish a conservation easement or land acquisition, due diligence is necessary. This guide describes the costs incurred by land trusts and agricultural land preservation boards in completing surveys, baseline documentation, appraisals, title search and insurance, phase 1 environmental assessments and legal services in support of conservation acquisitions.
Last Modified
Apr 27, 2017
Viewed
5967 times

Determining Monitoring Costs and Stewardship Endowment Levels for Maine Working Forest Easements

2009
Authors: Jo D. Saffeir
This paper was prepared to provide a review of existing policies, practices and costs for monitoring conservation easements in northern New England, with specific attention to working forest conservation easements, and to provide guidance to the Maine Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands on how to best determine the size of easement monitoring endowments for working forest conservation easements. It also includes a discussion of related policy issues and a proposed draft easement stewardship policy for consideration by the Bureau.
Last Modified
Jul 25, 2011
Viewed
6357 times

Determining Stewardship Costs and Raising and Managing Dedicated Funds

2007
Organizations/Sources: Land Trust Alliance
Part of the Land Trust Alliance's Standards and Practices Curriculum, this course covers the costs and funding of land and conservation easement stewardship, and presents best practices in managing a land trust's financial assets and dedicated funds. The tools provided in this course will also help you establish or revise your land trust's financial and stewardship funding policies. It provides guidance and tools to implement practices 6F, 11A and 12A. .
Last Modified
Nov 04, 2015
Viewed
4722 times

Ensuring the Promise of Conservation Easements: Report on the Use and Management of Conservation Easements

1999
Organizations/Sources: Bay Area Open Space Council
The Bay Area Open Space Council conducted a survey of easement holders in the San Francisco Bay Area, which focused on monitoring and enforcement activities. This report discusses the results of the study and includes a discussion of monitoring costs and recommendations for improving holders' stewardship programs.
Last Modified
Jul 25, 2011
Viewed
4430 times

General Guidelines for Conservation Easement Projects

2011
Organizations/Sources: Brandywine Conservancy
This document was developed by Brandywine Conservancy to share with prospective landowners and explain the many important legal and financial issues that a prospective easement donor should consider.
Last Modified
Nov 04, 2015
Viewed
4911 times

Guidance on the Phasing of Conservation Easements for Colorado Entities

2005
Organizations/Sources: Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts
Describes planned phasing projects that can have the mutual benefits of achieving an organization’s conservation objectives while still maximizing the landowner’s financial goals.
Last Modified
Nov 04, 2015
Viewed
4140 times

Guidelines on Purchase of Land & Conservation Easements

Organizations/Sources: Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
This three page document created by Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is an outline of the guidelines WPC follows when purchasing land and conservation easements.
Last Modified
Nov 04, 2015
Viewed
4316 times

Heritage Conservancy Acquisition Checklist

Organizations/Sources: Heritage Conservancy
A detailed easement acquisition checklist for land trusts and conservancies based on best practices and real life experiences.
Last Modified
Oct 16, 2009
Viewed
4122 times

Land Protection Agreement Checklist

2005
This checklist describes the types of restrictions and conditions that could be included in a Land Protection Agreement. Not every item will be in every Agreement or will necessarily apply to all parts of a property. It depends on the property and the goals of the landowner and the Land Conservancy. The purpose of this checklist is to provide the background for a discussion between the landowner and the Land Conservancy about the possible terms of a Land Protection Agreement.
Last Modified
Nov 04, 2015
Viewed
4236 times

Land Trust Standards and Practices

2017
Organizations/Sources: Land Trust Alliance
Land Trust Standards and Practices are the ethical and technical guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust. First published in 1989, they were updated in 1993, 2001, 2004, and 2017. They are a collective product of the land trust community; more than 1,600 comments were received from conservationists during preparation of the 2017 edition.
Last Modified
Sep 02, 2022
Viewed
16677 times

Planning for Development After the Easements

2009
Authors: David Beideman
Organizations/Sources: Rettew Associates
Presentation regarding landowners' retained rights and the implementation of these rights in conjunction with zoning.
Last Modified
Aug 21, 2018
Viewed
3804 times

Steps for Creating a Conservation Easement

Organizations/Sources: Medina County Land Conservancy
Created by the Medina County Land Conservancy in Medina Ohio, this is a very basic list of steps for landowners interested in pursuing a conservation easement.
Last Modified
Nov 05, 2015
Viewed
4447 times

Stewardship Endowment Sample

Worksheet used by the Medina County Soil and Water Conservation District to calculate the costs of stewardship of a conservation easement and the size of the endowment needed to support it.
Last Modified
Feb 05, 2024
Viewed
3959 times

Stewardship Funding Arrangements: Options for Financing the Obligations of Conservation Easement Holders

2023
A landowner may agree to one or more funding arrangements that require the landowner or successive owners of an eased property to make one or more payments to the easement holder to support stewardship of the property. These arrangements may be customized to fit the stewardship demands created by the particular conservation easement and the financial circumstances of the owner. WeConservePA guide. 12 pages.
Last Modified
Oct 20, 2023
Viewed
10846 times