The same is true for the development right. Some parcels of land have productive agricultural value or environmentally sensitive areas, such as wetlands, rare plants, or wildlife habitat. Preservation of these types of areas has been identified as a goal of the county. A receiving site is an area that usually does not have environmental features that are important to preserve. The ideal receiving site will be located in or next to existing development and will be served with public utilities.
Conservation easements come in many forms.
Generally speaking, a conservation easement is like a blanket that is spread across a property. In the areas covered by the blanket, no new development may take place. The remainder of the land will be covered by a conservation easement. While land covered by a conservation easement will remain open, it should not be confused with what people now think of as open space because the land itself remains under private ownership. Think back to the example of property as a series of layers.