Conserve Your Land

Conservation easements are forever. Your interest to protect your land from future development is a significant decision, one which you should fully understand. Drumlin Area Land Trust offers you an overview of the easement process. 

• Complete an application form, you can provide any available maps, wildlife or plant surveys, or other descriptions of nature, or description of your farming practices on your property. Be sure to include information about other easements or encumbrances on the property.

• A DALT representative will contact you to review your application and make arrangements to visit your property with you at a mutually convenient time to begin discussing the details of your conservation objectives.

• The DALT Board of Directors will review your application and decide based on the information you provided if it is consistent with DALT’s mission. If approved, the process will begin.

• If you are interested in qualifying for a tax deductible donation, the property will need to be appraised by a qualified appraiser. The landowner will be required to pay for some costs, such as the appraisal and title fees. DALT will assume the other costs related to the easement. DALT recommends landowners should contact an attorney, tax specialists or other professional to determine what the tax benefits result from the donation of the easement.

• If you are interested in participating in a Purchase of Conservation Easement (PACE) program, the property will be evaluated based on such factors as: quality of farmland, development pressure, and natural and historical features. Funds are limited for the PACE program, therefore applications that rank the highest will receive considerations first. Because of the charitable donation on behalf of DALT to prepare the grant applications and other necessary documents, the landowner may be required to contribute to the Stewardship Endowment Fund.

DALT has developed a standard easement that can be adapted to most, but not all situations. The conservation easement set forth the restrictions that would prohibit residential development, industrial uses, quarrying and mining activities, junkyards, landfills, and wind farms. Landowners would reserve the right to replace the existing buildings, farm within the restrictions of local and state zoning, and reserve the right to excavate gravel for farm use and add fill necessary to accomplish erosion control. Easements do not require public access. The landowner and DALT will agree to the final easement document. 

DALT will prepare an inventory of the property’s features and condition, known as the “baseline document”. This may include surveys, photographs, ecological information, maps, etc. 

After the accepted easement is signed, the easement then will be recorded with the County’s Registered of Deeds office.

DALT will inspect the property annually to be sure that the terms of the easement are being complied with. A monitoring report is filed with DALT and a copy is sent to the current landowner.

Drumlin Area Land Trust (DALT) is pleased to offer assistance, usually at no charge, to those interested in land conservation. DALT is not the legal representative of counsel of those whom we assist, and DALT makes no claim as to the legal sufficiency or financial effects of our advice or assistance.