Giants of the Earth:
conservation easement donors

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This article first appeared in INHF's Spring 2008 magazine.

The following four stories are examples of people who have used conservation easments last year as a form of land protection.

Easement donors voluntarily restrict select land uses in order to protect the land’s natural features. The easement restrictions continue to apply to themselves and all future owners. Although the land is still privately owned and not open for public use without the owner’s permision, it remains protected in perpetuity. The value of the donated rights may become a tax-deductible contribution for the donor.

INHF staff members help landowners tailor the terms of the easement to fit them and their land. Once the easement is signed, INHF’s responsibility as easement holder is to monitor the site annually to ensure and enforce the easement conditions.

“We work with landowners to make sure that their conservation easements reflect exactly what they want for their property. No two easements are the same,” said Joe McGovern, INHF’s land stewardship program director.

INHF completed a record number of 21 conservation easements in 2007. Landowners donated 15 easements to us; the other six were partially donated and partially reimbursed by the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP). In all, INHF protected 3,159 acres of private land through conservation easements in 2007.

Dreams from my Father Adams Conservation Easement, Boone County	Back to the Future Caulkins Conservation Easement, Mahaska County
Where the Sidewalk Ends Hartig Conservation Easement, Dubuque County	A River Runs Through It Baaken Conservation Easement, Winneshiek and Howard Counties, Upper Iowa River

For more information, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, Director of Communications, or call (515) 288-1846.