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Yellow birch, Nelson's Woods.
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A voluntary legal agreement between the landowner and land trust or government agency. It protects the conservation values of a piece of land by permanently limiting its present and future uses. This allows the landowner to retain ownership and use of his/her property and can be established to protect all or part of a property that has significant agricultural, historic, scenic or wildlife habitat resources. Donating land to a land trust is one of the finest legacies anyone can leave their community. Landowners who donate land to a land trust receive an income tax deduction for the full market value of the land. The donation may reduce federal estate tax liabilities and will eliminate the responsibility of property taxes. Sometimes, land trusts pay full value for land they consider highly significant and extremely threatened by development. Conservation-minded landowners who use this method to sell their land gain peace of mind knowing it will be protected. This can mean dividing
a parcel of land between areas protected by conservation easements
and areas where reasonable development in allowed. The landowner
can generate needed cash by selling or continuing to use a part
of the land for profit and, at the same time, guarantee the protection
of sections with conservation value. |
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