DO WE NEED TO LOOK IN OUR OWN BACKYARDS FOR CONSERVATION EASEMENT POSSIBILITIES?

"A conservation easement is a restriction placed on a piece of property to protect the resources (natural or man-made) associated with the parcel. The easement is either voluntarily sold or donated by the landowner, and constitutes a legally binding agreement that prohibits certain types of development (residential or commercial) from taking place on the land."
 

Perhaps we should look around and ask ourselves this question while we can still hear the yelps of coyotes. To learn more about conservation easement laws and tax issues go to http://ohioline.osu.edu/cd-fact/1261.html.A number of organizations have successfully worked with private land owners in New Mexico to successfully protect our open spaces. These include Santa Fe Conservation Trust www.sfct.org phone 989-7019, New Mexico Land Conservancy www.nmlandconservancy.org phone 986-3801 and Trust for Public Land www.tpl.org phone 988-5922.
 

"New Mexico is blessed with remarkable, awe inspiring landscapes. This extraordinary place has an impressive and unique array of natural habitats, agricultural lands and scenic open spaces that are inextricably tied to the people's cultural identity, the health of ecosystems, and the economy of our state."

Melinne Owen