How Do Conservation Easements Benefit the Community?

• Conservation easements serve to protect the community’s important natural and scenic assets – its water resources, wildlife habitats, agricultural lands, open space, historic structures, trails, and scenic views – without the need for appropriating public funds.
• Lands under conservation easement remain in private ownership and do not require public funds for support and maintenance.
• Lands under conservation easement remain on the tax rolls of the community.
• Because conservation easements are granted in perpetuity, the community can depend upon eased lands as permanently protected open spaces – a lasting result not possible through zoning or other land use regulations.

How Do Conservation Easements Benefit the Landowner?

• Landowners who donate conservation easements derive immense satisfaction from knowing that the scenic and natural resources of the land that they have lived on and cared for will be protected for the use and enjoyment of future generations.
• Conservation easements provide families with the opportunity to plan together for the future use of the land thereby avoiding possible conflict and misunderstanding at a later time.
• Neighboring landowners who donate conservation easements on contiguous properties can provide mutual protection against unplanned development, and share the benefits of protecting larger resource areas such as watersheds, agricultural areas, and scenic landscapes.
• Landowners who donate conservation easements may be eligible for significant financial benefits through the reduction of federal income, gift, and estate taxes.

Federal Income Tax Benefits

In 1969 Congress enacted legislation which permits a landowner to take a charitable deduction for the donation value of a qualified conservation easement. Internal Revenue Service regulations issued in 1986 better define the guidelines, including certain “conservation purposes” which must be met for an easement to qualify as a tax deductible charitable donation. (Reg. Sec. 1 . 170A-14)