I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2773 
To provide that the Secretary of the Interior may not enter into certain 
conservation easements with a term of more than 30 years, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 9, 2025 
Ms. HAGEMAN (for herself and Ms. FEDORCHAK) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To provide that the Secretary of the Interior may not enter 
into certain conservation easements with a term of more 
than 30 years, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Landowner Easement 
Rights Act’’. 
SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON CONSERVATION EASEMENT TERMS. 
After the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary may not enter into a conservation easement with 
a term of more than 30 years. 
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SEC. 3. RENEGOTIATION OF CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. 
At the request of an owner of land that is subject 
to an eligible conservation easement, the Secretary shall— 
(1) not later the 6 months after the Secretary 
receives the request from the landowner, provide to 
the landowner— 
(A) a detailed map of the easement; and 
(B) notice of the current fair market value 
of the easement as determined by the Secretary; 
and 
(2) renegotiate the terms of the eligible con-
servation easement, including— 
(A) a term not longer than 30 years; and 
(B) payment by the Secretary to the land-
owner in an amount equal to the fair market 
value of the easement, as determined by the 
Secretary under paragraph (1)(B), minus the 
amount paid by the Secretary for the eligible 
conservation easement being renegotiated (ad-
justed for inflation); or 
(3) allow the landowner to buy back the eligible 
conservation easement or a portion of the eligible 
conservation easement at fair market value, as de-
termined by the Secretary. 
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SEC. 4. NOTICE TO LANDOWNERS. 
The Secretary shall notify the owner of the land sub-
ject to that conservation easement of the owner’s right to 
submit a request under section 3— 
(1) not later than 3 months before the con-
servation easement becomes an eligible conservation 
easement described in section 5(2)(A); and 
(2) not later than 1 year before the conserva-
tion easement becomes an eligible conservation ease-
ment described in section 5(2)(B). 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CONSERVATION
EASEMENT.—The term 
‘‘conservation easement’’— 
(A) means a voluntary, legal agreement be-
tween a landowner and the Secretary that limits 
use of the land in order to protect its conserva-
tion values; and 
(B) does not include agreements— 
(i) with Indian Tribes; or for 
(ii) related to utilities. 
(2) ELIGIBLE CONSERVATION EASEMENT.—The 
term ‘‘eligible conservation easement’’ means a con-
servation easement that— 
(A) has been in effect for longer than 30 
years; or 
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(B) was put into effect before 1977 with-
out the creation of an official corresponding 
map. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
Æ 
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