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Conservation Easement
General Principles & Requirements
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Wood-Land-Lakes Resource Conservation and
Development Council is a not for profit, volunteer organization dedicated to
the protection and responsible use of natural resources in Northeast
Indiana. One of the tools we use to accomplish this mission is the
farmland conservation easement. A conservation easement is a voluntary, written
agreement between the landowner and Wood-Land-Lakes RC&D, in which the landowner
agrees to restrict the use of the land in exchange for certain tax and
estate planning benefits. The conservation easement is legally binding.
Wood-Land-Lakes RC&D is primarily interested in protecting farmland from
development. We will accept conservation easements on all types of land,
including woodlands, wetlands, prairies, and pastureland.
Strategic ground (e.g., land that can serve as a buffer between development
and prime farmland, or land whose protection would serve to protect
watersheds, lakes, or other ecological areas) and unique ground (e.g., sandhills, bogs, land with unusual characteristics or historical
significance) are valued for preservation.
For Wood-Land-Lakes RC&D to consider property for a conservation easement, the
property must meet certain requirements.
- Location: The property must be at least partially located within
one or more of the following counties.
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| Indiana |
Michigan |
Ohio |
| Allen |
Kosciusko |
Steuben |
Branch |
Defiance |
| DeKalb |
LaGrange |
St. Joseph |
Cass |
Williams |
| Elkhart |
Marshall |
Wabash |
Hillsdale |
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| Huntington |
Noble |
Whitley |
St. Joseph |
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- Minimum Acreage: The property must be a minimum of 20
contiguous acres. Smaller tracts will be considered if they are
contiguous with another protected property (not necessarily
protected by Wood-Land-Lakes RC&D, e.g., parks, other not for profit
organizations).
- Land Type: The property must be able to be characterized as
a farm, forest, wetland, pasture/range, open space, etc.
Landfills, brownfields, industrial sites, or land with environmental
hazards will not be considered.
Land which lies within municipal corporate limits is eligible, providing
the preceding criteria are met. |
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