Protecting Special Places in Greene County

The Greene Land Trust is dedicated to helping to protect the many places that make Greene County such a special place. Scenic vistas that inspired the Hudson River school of painters, agricultural lands that are an important part of our heritage; mountains and valleys that have attracted visitors for generations, habitat for an abundance of wild things and open spaces that offer recreation opportunities for us and future generation; all of these deserve our care and our concern.

Why Protecting Land is Important

For many of us, saving the places that enrich our lives is reason enough to support conservation. But much more is at stake. Ensuring that our natural areas are preserved is critical to the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat.

Economic Benefit of Protecting Land

Some people mistakenly believe that protecting land results in an economic loss to the community. The opposite is true.

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 How the Greene Land Trust Works to Protect Land

The Trust works with public and private landowners to protect natural and cultural resources for future generations using a variety of tools and incentives:

Conservation Easements

Conservation Easements are the most traditional tool for conserving private land. A conservation easement is an agreement between a land owner and a land trust or government agency. The easement permanently restricts the uses of the land in order to protect its conservation values.  (for that reason a conservation easement is sometimes called a conservation restriction).

With a conservation easement you continue to own and use your land. You can sell it or pass it on to heirs. However, the restrictions that you agreed to in the Conservation Easement are also binding on all future owners. The land trust is responsible for making sure that the term of the easement are followed. This managed through "stewardship" by the land trust. Greene Land Trust takes this responsibility very seriously. We will not accept an easement if we are not confident that we will have the resources to provide the stewardship it needs. 

Under certain circumstances, donating an easement may result in a federal income tax deduction. In New York State it might also qualify for an State income tax credit.

More information about conservation easements is available from the Land Trust Alliance, an organization representing more than 1600 land trusts. More About Conservation Easements.

Other Methods for Land Protection - coming soon

For now information about other conservation methods from the Land Trust Alliance