Conservation Easements
WHAT IS A CONSERVATION EASEMENT? A conservation easement is a legal agreement the property owner makes to restrict the type and amount of development that may take place on his/her property. The easement's conditions are tailored to the interests of the landowner and the natural assets of the property. The owner conveys the right to enforce the restrictions to a qualified private nonprofit conservation organization, like The Nature Conservancy, or a local land trust (like the Cascabel Hermitage Association, a member of the Land Trust Association) that has a regional portfolio of holdings.
This partnership for conservation is a clear and formal arrangement similar to a lease, sale, or other land transaction. It is also a partnership between people of good will who recognize their mutual need to work together to protect grasslands, woodlands, and bottomlands. - THE NATURE CONSERVANCY OF ARIZONA