Usually the agreement limits development or subdivision of the property. The agreement is filed with the deed, and present and future owners of the property are bound by the restrictions of the easement.
Conservation easements are very flexible and can be tailored to each landowner and property.
For example, a landowner may want to retain the right to farm or harvest timber. Additional building rights may also be retained for the future. Public access is not a requirement of a conservation easement, and in some cases may be contrary to the easement's purpose. The amount of the charitable deduction is based on the value of the easement, which is determined by an appraisal that determines the property's value before and after the easement is in place. The protection of relatively natural wildlife habitats and ecosystems.