You can take steps now to protect your land indefinitely while maintaining ownership.
Your stewardship will protect wildlife and humans alike, for generations to come.
Conservation Easements
Conservation easements permanently protect land for conservation value, mainly by prohibiting or reducing the number of subdivisions that can be put on the property. Easements are voluntary, legally binding agreements between a land owner and either a land trust or government agency. In this agreement, the land owner retains private property rights and the freedom to continue doing whatever they desire on the land, whether that be for residential, recreational or agricultural purposes. The land owner may choose to donate and protect the entirety of their property, or just a portion. The terms of the easement can vary depending on the land owner’s desires, and will remain in place even if the land comes under new ownership.
The benefits to the landowner include:
Tax benefits (can include federal income tax deduction, estate tax exclusion, and state income tax deductions and credits)
Private ownership
Ability to sell or pass down land
Peace of mind in knowing that your land is protected for conservation in perpetuity.
If you’re interested in learning more about what a conservation easement would do for your land, we recommend:
Gather information on conservation easements in your state
Contact your local land trust to gauge their interest and learn about their processes. You can start with the Land Trust Alliance search tool
Consult an attorney or financial advisor
Conservation easements are a tool to create a win for you, your neighbors and the environment-for generations to come.
Make your Home a Habitat for Wildlife
The monoculture, bald grass lawns we’re accustomed to in the U.S. simply aren’t welcoming habitat for wildlife. From bees and butterflies busily pollinating flowers to turtles and lizards looking for cover, to birds and mammals raising their young in the trees, wildlife depend on green spaces full of native plants in order to survive. With food, water, and shelter, your property can serve as a beautiful sanctuary for yourself and wildlife.
To make your yard more suitable for critters, here are some simple steps:
Plant native plants to support pollinators. You can check out Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation’s state-by-state native plant lists here, or search by zip code and purchase native plants from conservation nonprofits like National Audubon Society or National Wildlife Federation.
Eliminate chemical pesticides and fertilizers. These chemicals are designed to kill “pest” insects but also kill and sicken a host of other insects such as caterpillars (a.k.a. butterflies), as well as the animals that eat them. In addition, these chemicals run off into and pollute our water sources.
Provide a water source. This can be a naturally-occurring feature or a simple bird bath.
Keep mature trees on your land whenever possible
Leave at least a portion of your yard un-mowed; the taller grasses and wildflowers will support more critters.
Check out a multitude of free resources with more tips on how to create a pollinator/wildlife friendly back yard. Here are a few to get you started:
“I love Nature partly because she is not man, but a retreat from him. None of his institutions control or pervade her. There a different kind of right prevails. In her midst I can be glad with an entire gladness.”
-Henry David Thoreau