Services

Conservation Easements

Landowners increasingly are choosing to voluntarily reserve large blocks of land through conservation easements. A conservation easement permanently prohibits certain activities on a property, while other property rights not defined or specified under the easement are retained. A conservation easement may be specific to protect farmland, rangeland, wildland, or an explicit habitat type.

Property owners placing an easement on their land typically do so in exchange for a cash payment, tax incentive or combination of the two (“bargain sale”). VESTRA understands the various mechanisms available for conservation, as well as the tax implications. We have worked with most land trusts in our region.

As part of the easement due diligence process, VESTRA can prepare Current Conditions Reports and conduct Baseline Assessments, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, and Mineral Remoteness Evaluations, in addition to annual monitoring and reporting as required by a management plan or mitigation and monitoring program.

Numerous organizations and state and federal agencies provide information related to conservation easements. One such resource is the Land Trust Alliance and Land Trust Accreditation Commission, a national association of land trust organizations and the only national certifying entity.

Call today at (530) 223-2585 or email info@vestra.com for more information