Gathering stories is another of her Legacy interests. "I’m enthusiastic about the stories the land has to tell, and sharing those stories with others to help generate connections and start conversations about conservation."   

When I talk about conservation easements (CEs) with landowners one of the most common things people say is that the agreement lasts forever—that’s a serious commitment. 

They’re right. For some a CE may not be the best tool. For others it may be exactly the tool they’re seeking to meet their land management needs.

History has a habit of repeating itself. Through my lifetime I’ve seen numerous parcels of land sold, maintained for a limited time and then stripped of trees and perennial cover.

One of the most amazing parts of conservation easements is that the agreement is placed on the title of the land and runs with the parcel regardless of who the owner is. It ensures that when land is transferred the important features of the land are protected and secured.

Of course, each landowner has to pick what works best for her or him. 

In some cases it might be a conservation easement; in other cases it might be a term management agreement (TMA) or something more informal. 

A TMA is an agreement between the landowner and a land trust about the management of a specific aspect, feature or management approach on the land for a specified amount of time. 

Legacy hasn’t done TMAs to date but we’ve been talking about them as a way for people to get to know us, to make a commitment to conservation and stewardship that isn’t forever—and to test the waters before committing to a CE.

If you’d like to know more about ways to conserve your land, please get in touch

P.S. You can find more detailed information about conservation easements on our website. 

Owen Rodger