Active management and protection of properties though good land stewardship practices is  a great way to ensure that ecological functions are restored and not further threatened or impaired. Landowners can commit themselves and future owners to conservation of the significant features of the property through a conservation agreement.

A conservation agreement is a legal agreement signed between a landowner and a conservation agency or charity, such as the Conservancy, that places limits on certain land uses to help conserve the property’s important features.  It protects the current owner’s stewardship investment, can significantly reduce the tax burden, and can avoid future family disputes over the uses and disposition of the property.

• Under a conservation agreement, the landowner retains title and continues to live on the property.
• The agreement can apply to all or only the significant portion of the property.
• When the agreement is signed and registered against the land title, it binds both current and future owners to its terms.
• Donation of a conservation agreement can provide significant tax benefits to the landowner.
• As the recipient, the Conservancy takes on responsibility to monitor the property and ensure the agreement is being upheld.

Donations of property to another organization (e.g. a municipality or school) can also utilize a conservation agreement to help conserve the property’s important features  

For more information on conservation agreements, see our Conservation Agreement Fact Sheet Adobe PDF (43 KB) .

For examples of conservation agreements see our Properties page.

• Landowner Options
• Stewardship
• Conservation Agreements
• Donating Land
• Tax Benefits
• Ecological Gifts
• Implementation
• Calculate Tax Saving