Email Connection
Newsletters, special events
and announcements
direct to your inbox.
Enter your email below

104 North Laurel,
Suite 104
Port Angeles, WA 98362
Phone (360) 417-1815
Fax: (360) 457-1089
Email Us

What is a Conservation Easement?

As a private property owner you have the right to privacy; you have the right to farm your own land; you have the right to use and enjoy your property; you have the right to sell your land, or to pass it on to your heirs; you have water and mineral rights…and the right to develop your property. A conservation easement allows you to retire some of your development rights in order to protect it's natural qualities.

A conservation easement is a permanent, legal agreement placed on the property deed that limits future uses of the land. Each conservation easement is unique, written with your cooperation and with your needs and the needs of your property in mind. Because the easement stays with the property when it is sold or inherited, it offers permanent protection for your land.

You continue to own your property. You can use the property for purposes such as farming or forestry, and you can sell or pass on the property when you choose. But with a conservation easement in place, you'll have the assurance that your unique piece of land will be protected and future generations will have a chance to know and enjoy the land – just as you have.

Advantages to protecting your land with a conservation easement:

• You retain ownership and may continue to live on the land, sell it, or pass it on to heirs.

• Conservation easements are flexible and can be written to your specific needs.

• They are permanent, regardless of who owns the land.

• A conservation easement may significantly lower estate taxes, federal income taxes, and

• A conservation easement may significantly lower estate taxes, federal income taxes, and property taxes.

[Back for more Questions and Answers]