Donate a Conservation Restriction

A Conservation Restriction (“CR”) is a permanent and legally binding agreement between the landowner and Wildlands. The landowner retains title to the property, but relinquishes certain agreed-upon development rights. The landowner also retains the right to sell or bequeath the land, but the CR runs with the property’s title in perpetuity. Since CRs limit the development potential and therefore the value of a property, most CR donors realize some relief from local property taxes. In addition, conservation restriction donors may be eligible for income tax and estate tax benefits..

When Wildlands accepts a CR, it accepts a perpetual responsibility to monitor the restriction and to ensure compliance with its terms. The Trust must have adequate resources to meet this perpetual responsibility and therefore we require all CR donors to make a one-time stewardship endowment contribution. The specific amount of each stewardship contribution varies from project to project, and among other factors is dependent on the CR’s complexity and the number of abutters to the restricted property.

For more detailed information, go to http://www.ecga.org/conservation/options.html and click on “DOWNLOAD” at the bottom of the page.