Conservation Options
Landowners interested in protecting their land have options that include perpetual land conservation agreements, land donations and bargain sales of land.
LAND CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS
Most landowners who work with Black Swamp Conservancy protect their land with a perpetual land conservation agreement known as a conservation easement. The landowner agrees to restrict the use of the land in order to protect its conservation values. In the case of an agricultural land conservation agreement, most non-agricultural activities are prohibited to protect the productivity of the soils and the land’s water resources. A land conservation agreement on a woods, wetland, meadow or on streamside land prohibits residential and commercial development and usually limits construction to structures necessary for a nature preserve.
LAND CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS FAQ
- What is a land conservation agreement?
- How does a land conservation agreement work?
- What rights and duties does the landowner retain?
- What is the Conservancy responsible for?
- What restrictions can be included in a land conservation agreement?
- Does a land conservation agreement open the property to public access?
- What is involved in creating a land conservation agreement?
- What does it cost to establish a land conservation agreement?
- What are the tax benefits?
- How do I get started?
Contact the Conservation Director at Black Swamp Conservancy to discuss perpetual land conservation agreements.
LAND DONATION
A landowner may make an outright donation, making a gift of their land to our Conservancy. A landowner also has the option of making a donation by will, in which land is donated to our Conservancy through that person’s will (testamentary gift).
BARGAIN SALE
Black Swamp Conservancy buys the property from the landowner for less than its fair market value, reducing our cost and offering tax benefits to the seller.
OTHER OPTIONS
Another option is retaining a life estate. In that case, the landowner sells or donates the land, but retains the right to live on the land throughout his or her lifetime.
Contact the Executive Director at Black Swamp Conservancy to discuss land donations, bargain sales or retained life estates.
Notes from the Field:
The first census of land trusts in five years found 10 million new acres conserved nationwide since 2005, including 113,000 new acres here in Ohio.
