Land Protection Easement
Protect Your Land for Future Generations with a Land Protection Easement
What is a Land Protection Easement, you might ask?
A Land Protection Easement—sometimes called a Conservation Easement—is a voluntary legal agreement that allows you to maintain ownership of your land while ensuring its long-term protection. This means you can continue to use and enjoy your property as you do now, with the peace of mind that it will remain safeguarded for generations to come.
At Open Space STL, we work with private landowners and public agencies to establish Land Protection Easements that preserve vital green spaces, wildlife habitats, and working lands while preventing unwanted development.
Why Choose a Land Protection Easement?
1. Flexibility
A Land Protection Easement allows you to continue using your land for purposes like farming, sustainable forestry, or recreation. You can also maintain designated areas for structures such as homes, barns, or agricultural buildings while keeping the rest of the land preserved.
2. Privacy
Your land remains yours—you can live on it, sell it, or pass it on to your heirs. There is no requirement to grant public access, ensuring you maintain full control and privacy.
3. Tax Benefits
Depending on the specifics of the agreement, donating or selling a Land Protection Easement may offer significant tax benefits, including potential reductions in income or estate taxes.
4. Permanence
A Land Protection Easement is a lasting commitment to conservation. The agreement stays with the land even if ownership changes, ensuring its protection for future generations. At Open Space STL, we uphold the terms of these easements, safeguarding our region’s natural beauty and ecological health forever.
How Open Space STL Utilizes Land Protection Easements
Through Land Protection Easements, we help:
✅ Preserve environmentally significant lands from development
✅ Expand or create public parks, trails, and greenways
✅ Maintain wildlife habitats and biodiversity
✅ Protect agricultural lands for sustainable food production
✅ Ensure future generations have access to nature and outdoor spaces
Some landowners also choose to donate or sell their land outright to Open Space STL, allowing us to manage it as a nature preserve or conservation area. This option provides additional tax benefits while ensuring the land remains protected forever.
Get Involved
If you're a landowner interested in protecting your land through a Land Protection Easement or would like to explore land donation or sale options, we’d love to hear from you.
📩 Contact us to learn more about our Land Easement process and how you can leave a lasting conservation legacy.
🔗 Fill out our interest form here!
Let’s work together to preserve the landscapes that make our region special—now and for the future!