For landowners, placing a conservation or agricultural easement is a way to protect the land they love. It is also a major financial decision. When landowners place the easement on their land, they give up part of the value of their property — often their family’s biggest asset. Philander Chase Conservancy will work with the landowner to offset the lost value through funding, tax incentives or a combination of the two, making conservation a viable option for more landowners.
How We Protect Land
The conservancy provides technical assistance and financial support to landowners who wish to protect their land for future generations. The methods the land trust uses to conserve land include:
Conservation Easements
Local landowners can donate or sell specific development rights on their property to Philander Chase Conservancy. Owners retain full ownership of the land and can sell it or pass it to heirs, subject to the limitations on development they agree to. Landowners can get funding or federal income tax benefits or a combination of the two and the satisfaction of preserving a precious resource in perpetuity.
Agricultural Easements
Under the Clean Ohio Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program (LAEPP), farmers sell their rights to future non-agricultural development to Philander Chase Conservancy and the Ohio Department of Agriculture to keep the land in agricultural use in perpetuity. The state pays a portion of the value of the easement; the rest comes from Philander Chase Conservancy, county government or the farmers themselves.
Information for Landowners
The staff at Philander Chase Conservancy appreciates the opportunity to sit down with families to discuss options for land conservation and to provide the information needed when a person or family is considering whether to conserve their land in perpetuity. The staff does not provide legal or tax advice but will partner with anyone interesting in deciding whether a conservation or agricultural easement makes sense for them and for their property.