Conservation Options

As 5,000 acres of land in the United States are consumed by development every day, many landowners seek ways to protect the land that they love for future generations.

As a conservation Land Trust, Prairie Land Conservancy offers landowners in a 10 county area of west-central Illinois options for assuring that their land is protected forever as wildlife habitat, open space, natural area or sustainable agricultural land.

Conservation Easements

A Conservation Easement (CE) is an option for private landowners desiring to protect the conservation values of their property.

Policy on Acceptance of Land or Conservation Easements (pdf)

A Conservation Easement is a permanent legally binding agreement between a landowner and Prairie Land Conservancy. The CE protects the conservation values of the land by setting out terms which permanently limit future uses of the land.

Conservation Easements run with the land and therefore all future owners of the land are subject to the terms of the CE.

Prairie Land Conservancy has the responsibility to monitor the property to assure that the terms of the CE are followed.

The Conservation Easement agreement is the product of much consultation between the Landowner, and Prairie Land Conservancy.

It cannot be overstated that Conservation Easements are flexible and each CE is developed in consideration of the wishes of the Landowner and the conservation values of the individual property. While CEs in most cases restrict future development and commercial endeavors, many other terms may be negotiated. Some topics that may need to be considered:

Hunting, Trapping, Fishing—In most cases, a CE does not restrict legal non-commercial hunting practices.
Public Access-Generally not required, but can apply in some situations.
Structures-Future construction of a building can be negotiated, e.g. a barn.
Management of the property to maintain the conservation value. A management plan is typically developed as part of the CE negotiation process.

With a Conservation Easement, the Landowner continues to own the land and may sell it or pass it on to heirs. Again the CE remains with the property regardless of ownership.

Donation of a CE to Prairie Land Conservancy may provide the landowner income tax, property tax or estate tax benefits. Careful planning is required and any landowner contemplating donation of a CE should consult with their attorney and financial adviser about the effect of such a donation on their individual tax situation.

Other Conservation Options

1) Donation of Land For Conservation

A Landowner may choose to donate property to Prairie Land Conservancy for the permanent protection of the conservation values of the property. The donation would qualify as a charitable gift for income tax purposes.

2) Bargain Sale of Land

With this option the Landowner sells their property to Prairie Land Conservancy for less than the fair market value. This provides cash as well as certain tax advantages to the Landowner.

3) Leases or Management Agreements

Non-permanent agreements between a Landowner and Prairie Land Conservancy that limits development or allows for optimal management of natural resources on a property. There are no tax advantages with these types of agreements.

The mission of Prairie Land Conservancy is to protect wildlife habitat, open space, natural areas and sustainable agricultural land in west-central Illinois.

Conservation Options