limitations. The piece examines in detail a specific example of a town donating conservation easements over property it owns to a … third-party not-for-profit conservation organization in order ensure that the property would not be developed in the future … the extent to which conservation easements can entrench an anti-development agenda …

Land conservation increasingly involves a concentrated focus on private lands, and increasingly a focus coming from … private organizations. In this effort to protect land, conservation easements have become widespread. Conservation easements … environmental goal with tailored restrictions as long as they meet general goals of land conservation as spelled out in state law …

The law governing termination of donated conservation easements generally and appropriately discourages termination …. Climate change and other large scale ecological events may render conservation easement-restricted lands unsuitable as places … federal tax law that governs deductibility of donated conservation easements. The proposed changes would make it possible to …