At the same time, they have a legal and ethical obligation to be sure that their land protection projects result in real public benefits, and that the land protection obligations the trusts assume in perpetuity can be carried out. The ways land trusts acquire land are as varied as their imaginations and negotiating capabilities. Remainder interest Purchase option, right of first refusal, covenant not to sell Lease To fund their acquisitions, land trusts sometimes can arrange to borrow money at a low interest rate. A local land trust's most effective acquisition tool is peer pressure. Because their boards of directors are long-time, trusted community members, land trusts can use peer pressure in concert with basic negotiating skill and attention to detail, discretion, and timeliness to complete a transaction where government agencies would not have succeeded.
Land trusts can act as a catalyst when public agencies want to buy protective interests in land.
Once the agency has the funds, the land trust sells the land. Land trusts also can shoulder the long-term burden of managing appropriate agency lands. C. Selection and Establishment Land trust projects are initiated in a number of ways. Some begin when community members feel that a particular site is threatened. Still others are prompted by a county or city plan that identifies and recommends locations for parks and open space reserves.