Conservation Easements

Today, the Brookings Institute issued a paper on the abuses of conservation easements in the United States.  

Conservation easements are a valuable tool for both landowners and regional landscapes, often preventing overdevelopment while granting the landowner valuable tax credits for not developing their land.

But, like any good thing, folks find a way to abuse it.

Working with land trusts, The Nature Conservancy, and other established non-governmental organizations can prevent and ensure that the landowner will not, sometime down the road, be subject to scrutiny over their attempts to protect landscapes.