The most current tool in the land protection arsenal is the conservation easement. A conservation easement is a legal encumbrance — sometimes including a transfer of usage rights — which creates an enforceable land preservation agreement between a landowner and a qualified land protection organization (often called a "land trust"), or a government agency (municipality, county, state, federal), for the purposes of conservation. It restricts real estate development, commercial and industrial uses, and certain other activities on a property to a mutually agreed upon level. The property remains the private property of the landowner. If you have any further questions,