Introduction to Land Conservation

 Last Reviewed by MLTC: 12/11/2025

 Introductory materials outlining the basic options available to landowners considering conservation, including land donation, bargain sale, conservation restrictions, and retained interests. These resources also describe the general stages of a conservation project and the roles, steps, and considerations typically involved.

Documents:

1. Introduction to Land Conservation (Greenbelt Essex County's Land Trust; January 01, 2017)
    Beginner-level overview explaining the primary methods landowners may use to conserve their land, including donation, bargain sale, conservation restrictions, and bequests, with clear descriptions of key choices and benefits.

   Resource: https://www.ecga.org/conservation/the-process-of-conservation/resources-for-landowners
   
    

2. Land Conservation 101 Workshop (Kate Buttolph, Chris LaPointe, David Santomenna; March 24, 2018)
    Workshop material presenting a broad overview of the conservation project process, including evaluating conservation values, structuring real estate transactions, conducting due diligence, and identifying funding sources.

   Resource: conservation_101_workshop.pdf

   Additional Resources:

   1.  Glossary of natural resource terms: glossary_natural_resource_terms2017.pdf
   2. Due diligence projects: select_links_due_diligence_2018.pdf
   3. Glossary of common terms & acronyms: glossary_2017.pdf