Conservation Easements

Conservation easements are voluntary, legal agreements between a landowner and a qualified conservation organization, such as the Congaree Land Trust, which permanently protect the natural resources and character of land by limiting its uses. Conservation easements can protect all types of land including working forests and farms, streams and rivers, wetlands, wildlife areas, scenic views, and historical and cultural landscapes.

Conservation easements protect land from inappropriate development while maintaining traditional uses such as agriculture, forestry, wildlife management, and recreational pursuits like hunting and fishing. By limiting uses of their land, landowners may be eligible for income and estate tax benefits.

Flexible:

Offering great flexibility, conservation easements are tailored individually to meet the desires of each landowner while also protecting the land’s conservation values.

Voluntary:

The Congaree Land Trust works only with willing landowners. Landowners continue to own and use their land and to sell it or pass it on to heirs. Landowners maintain many of their private property rights and use their land as they have done traditionally.

Private:

Conservation easements do not require public access. Landowners continue to decide who visits their land. Landowners provide public benefit by protecting natural areas and preserving working lands such as farms.

Permanent:

Conservation easements “run with the land” binding the original owner and all subsequent owners to the terms of the easement. The land can be inherited, bought, or sold. To claim federal and state tax deductions the conservation easement must be granted in perpetuity.

Conservation easements provide an ideal tool for landowners to create a permanent legacy by protecting land for future generations. The Congaree Land Trust staff is happy to meet with landowners to discuss the multiple benefits offered by conservation easements.