Designing and Applying Conservation Easements

While the optimum role of conservation easements in planning remains unclear, data from the experience of land trusts suggest the tool has sufficient potential to merit serious consideration by planning professionals. Although planners are generally familiar with conservation easements, more attention to how they are designed and applied in various settings is needed to foster wider use. This article compares easements with other techniques, discusses case studies of their successful use, and analyzes regional patterns of easement use in the United States. A sample easement design is presented.