Work With Us to Protect Your Land
Why Preserve Your Land?
Protect the Future
When you preserve your land, you make sure it benefits people today and for generations to come.
Preserve Your Way of Life
Farmers and ranchers preserve land to sustain a way of life central to their families and communities.
Tax Benefits
Preserving land provides several near-term and long-term positive impacts on your tax status.
What is a Conservation Easement?
A conservation easement is an agreement between a landowner and a conservation organization (such as the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County) that keeps land in private hands, while permanently protecting it from development.
The increased use of conservation easements is in response to limited funding for park acquisition and maintenance and to keep working lands working. In Santa Cruz County, farmland and forests are currently protected by land use policies, but still face long-term development threats.
Each conservation easement is individualized to fit the property's characteristics and the goals and objectives of the landowner and Land Trust. When a landowner enters into a conservation easement, we become partners in protecting the land. The landowner continues to own and operate the land and the Land Trust holds the easement in perpetuity, monitoring the property at least annually to ensure compliance with the terms. In some instances, the Land Trust may also purchase additional affirmative rights, allowing the Land Trust the right to conduct restoration and habitat enhancement projects on the property.
How to Protect Your Land
We can help you overcome potential obstacles in your path to preserving your land. In most cases, we protect land through preservation agreements, called conservation easements.
Contact one of our preservation experts to discuss how we can help you protect your land.
Tax Benefits for Landowners
A conservation easement has many potential benefits to a landowner. The exact benefits depend on the details of the agreement between the landowner and the Land Trust.
Tax Reduction
May lower estate and/or property taxes
Tax Deduction
Provides a charitable tax deduction if all or part of the easement is donated
Future Flexibility
May provide flexibility for adding structures such as a home or barn in a designated building envelope are
Long-term Protection
Ensures that your land is protected for generations to come
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