CONSERVATION EASEMENTS
What if you have a really big backyard like a couple hundred or even a couple thousand acres of great wildlife habitat that you want protected forever for birds and other wildlife?
If this is your situation, you might have heard of a tool called a conservation easement. A conservation easement is a voluntary, written agreement between a landowner and the “holder” of the conservation easement, whereby a landowner voluntarily restricts certain uses of the property, like the right to subdivide and develop the property. The landowner may continue his or her current use of the property, like the right to build a house and continue living on the property, hunt or fish, raise livestock, or other activities provided the resources that the conservation easement is intended to protect are sustained.
Most conservation easements are generally donated to nonprofit conservation organizations, commonly known as land trusts. The donation of a conservation easement can have significant tax benefits to the landowner. There are also state and federal programs that will pay landowners for the value of their easement. For landowners with wildlife habitat and a conservation desire, consider a conservation easement to rest easy knowing that your property will remain intact forever while you can receive a tax break or payment at the same time. Even if you don’t live in Texas, the Texas Land Trust Council at is an excellent resource to learn more about this tool. Do it for the owls.