Land Acquisition and Conservation Easements

M

Mason Brubaker

Member
Has anybody here ever had any experience with conservation easements? Looking to buy a parcel when I'm out of college and am trying to make it as affordable as possible. Land prices in PA are wild. Lots of people and they're not making any more land. Low supply high demand, you do the math.
 
Yes, I purchased and farm a couple quarters that are in a conservation easement. My advice would be to meet with the group enforcing the easement. See if they are someone you think you can work with. The people enforcing on my ground will not compromise at all, have had to threaten legal action a few times to get them to back off. They are very anti ag, and also do not allow hunting. I like the idea of the farms never being developed, but after dealing with these guys I will never enter any of my ground into an easement. Specific questions just ask.
 
Diesel 74 said:
Yes, I purchased and farm a couple quarters that are in a conservation easement. My advice would be to meet with the group enforcing the easement. See if they are someone you think you can work with. The people enforcing on my ground will not compromise at all, have had to threaten legal action a few times to get them to back off. They are very anti ag, and also do not allow hunting. I like the idea of the farms never being developed, but after dealing with these guys I will never enter any of my ground into an easement. Specific questions just ask.
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You own the land in the easement and they are telling you that you can't allow hunting?

(Wanting to make sure I read it right -- or you mean they are an anti hunting org?)

Nature Conservancy and what state?
 
Not going to name them, in Kansas. The no hunting clause was written in the easement. Not an entirely negative experience, just mostly. I think the most important things that should be done when considering purchasing property in an easement is to have the agreement reviewed by a lawyer and meet the administrators. Make sure they are reasonable, not all of them are.
 
Been working with conservation easements for 22 years now. Ask away but the biggest thing is the term and how much they want to pay. Some are perpetual as well. Just make sure its the right decision for you and your family. Take your time and do your homework.
 
So 3car someone you know with Fish&Wildlife and I were talking about our pf group helping with land acquisition,or cost share. He showed me a 100grand in easements looking to seed to grass. Explained he is between grants now so probably farmed 1 more year.

None of the parcels were in our area and we advertise our money is raised for local projects. I did say maybe we could do a stopgap loan but he advised too risky.
 
Weimdogman said:
So 3car someone you know with Fish&Wildlife and I were talking about our pf group helping with land acquisition,or cost share. He showed me a 100grand in easements looking to seed to grass. Explained he is between grants now so probably farmed 1 more year.

None of the parcels were in our area and we advertise our money is raised for local projects. I did say maybe we could do a stopgap loan but he advised too risky.
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Not sure on what PF can afford when it comes to actually funding these projects. Ducks Unlimited and other non gov organizations have funded temporary positions to help with acquisition. Maybe that's an avenue for PF to help as well.
 
Rogue Hunter said:
For the uninformed, what is the why, purpose, benefits of a conversation easement? thanks
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The Generic response is as follows. Conservation easements aim to protect habitat for birds, fish and other wildlife by limiting residential, industrial or commercial development. Contracts may prohibit alteration of the natural topography, conversion of native grassland to cropland, drainage of wetland and establishment of game farms.

Most of the easements in the Dakotas that are managed by the USFWS protect wetlands from being drained and grasslands from being converted to farm land. Landowners are paid so much an acre and the easements are perpetual. There are other types of easements as well throughout the country but this is the majority in our part of the world.
 
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