Land trusts raise money, work with government agencies and other nonprofits, and help property owners with legal and tax-related issues. The land trust movement began in this country in the 1950s but really took off in the 1970s, mainly out of frustration with ineffective planning and zoning laws. A conservation easement is a partial interest owned by the land trust that runs with the land, regardless of who owns it. Conservation easements identify and protect environmental and cultural resources such as forests, wetlands, wildlife habitat, scenic vistas, farmland, trails, geologic formations and historic places. Unlike zoning, which can change, conservation easements are permanent.
Many landowners feel more comfortable working with a local nonprofit than with a government agency.
While conservation easements promote public conservation values, they don t necessarily confer the right of public access. The Mendocino Land Trust was founded in the spring of 1976. Their main project was protecting the field in the middle of town. The Human Potential School promised to keep the property off the market for three years while the land trust got organized and tried to raise money to buy it. At the same time, the Human Potential School was reluctant to sell it on the open market and allow it to be developed.