Voluntary Land Protection
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Learn more about:
Learn more about:
Benefits:
The terms of the agreement will be upheld in perpetuity.
Landowners could see potential federal and state tax benefits.
Flexibility to tailor easements so that landowner needs, agricultural uses, and conservation goals can all be satisfied.
Protection of natural resources, habitats, agriculture, and scenic landscapes.
Contributions to the health and longevity of local environments, economies, food supply and communities.
About Sequoia Riverlands Trust
Mission
Sequoia Riverlands Trust (SRT) is a regional nonprofit land trust dedicated to preserving the natural and agricultural legacy of the southern Sierra Nevada and San Joaquin Valley. The wealth, productivity and beauty of this land inspire our work to conserve it for future generations. Our mission is to conserve the lands and waters of California’s heartland.
Impact
Sequoia Riverlands Trust’s work spans over 40,000 acres encompassing lands critical to our water resources, agricultural productivity, and wildlife habitat. Since our founding in 2000, we have created and continue to manage seven nature preserves, helped countless landowners protect the land they love in perpetuity, permanently protected vital working and agricultural lands in the Central Valley, and pioneered outdoor education programs for students across Tulare County. Our success would not be possible without partnerships with landowners, other organizations and agencies, and the local communities that cherish these lands.
About Voluntary Land Protection
Sequoia Riverlands Trust strives to help landowners retain their lands in private ownership and sustainable management as we enter an increasingly unknown future. By partnering with landowners, SRT works to implement voluntary land protection agreements to ensure that the treasured conservation and agricultural values of vital lands will be preserved in perpetuity.
If you are interested in exploring what voluntary land protection might look like on your lands please contact our Land Protection Outreach Specialist, Emily Boettger, by email at emily@sequoiariverlands.org
How it works:
Voluntary land protection agreements, often called “conservation easements”, are elective legal agreements that lay out a landowner’s commitments to protect the existing character of their property.
Each agreement is unique and written in accordance with the landowner’s wishes.
Conservation easements keep land in private ownership and allow the landowner to continue to own and operate their property while protecting it from development.
The monetary value of the easement is the difference between the value of the land with the easement and its value without the easement. This determination is made by a qualified appraiser.
Land trusts must also obtain stewardship funds (easement “endowments”) to cover the expenses of permanently monitoring the land protected by the agreement to ensure the terms are being met, even if land ownership changes.