Conservation Easements and Taxes

In order to protect your land and its resources, you may choose to set up a conservation easement. Many landowners do—in fact, there are more than 100,000 conservation easements covering over 22 million acres in effect across the U.S.

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Credit: Shutterstock

If your conservation easement meets certain requirements, it can qualify as a tax-deductible charitable donation—and that can translate into significant state and federal income tax savings.  A conservation easement is simply a voluntary agreement between a landowner and a government agency or land trust (usually a conservation organization) to restrict certain kinds of real estate development or commercial and industrial activities in the landowner’s woods. That might mean, for example, that you limit the right to subdivide or develop your property, but maintain your rights to live on it, sell it or pass it on. You can learn more about conservation easements here.