However, by encumbering the property through such a mechanism, they have denied all future owners the right to decide how they wish to use the land. By entering into a conservation easement, the private property owner has set the stage for the government to eventually take full possession of the land. Landowners should consider carefully the long-term consequences of conservation easements and the burdens they place upon their heirs. If a landowner's purpose in granting an easement is to lower the value of the property and to qualify for tax breaks, then it is a good idea. However, if the landowner believes that a conservation easement guarantees that the land will be cared for and properly managed into perpetuity, he should reconsider.
Private ownership holds the greatest hope for protecting natural resources.
A conservation easement that encumbers private land and limits its uses forever guarantees that sooner or later, the land will be owned by a government entity. Gina Brosig wrote this essay for the American Farm Bureau Federation.