Reily is vice president of River Fields, a Louisville organization that works to preserve and protect land along the Ohio River. Last month, landowner Henry Wallace and his six children placed an easement on nearly 600 acres of their farm in eastern Jefferson County. It effectively protects the land from development. Wallace named River Fields as the organization to monitor the easement after he and his family have died. The value of the easement also can become a charitable deduction for tax purposes.
Easements remain in effect even if the property is sold.
Most people simply want to preserve the land, he told people attending the conference. Several conservation organizations in the state accept easements and agree to police them. The Bluegrass Conservancy accepts easements for Lexington-Fayette County and the surrounding counties of Bourbon, Clark, Jessamine, Madison, Scott and Woodford. Those counties are home to most of Kentucky's famous thoroughbred farms. The Kentucky Heritage Council accepts and monitors easements for historic properties across the state.