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Protecting Forests through Conservation Easements

MCLI Recommendation: “Congress could create or extend existing conservation easement programs, perhaps targeting places that show high forest carbon sequestration potential.”

LPDD Recommendation: “Local governments could assist the use of conservation easements for afforestation through dedicated taxes and bond funds directed at acquisition of conservation easements.”

LPDD Recommendation: “Private landowners could easily draft conservation easements to encourage forest management for carbon capture.”

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9 resources

Resource Local Governments

Report, Conservation Easements and Climate Change

Aaronson and Manuel’s 2008 report notes how the current law of conservation easements does not recognize the full potential for carbon capture resulting from land conservation, in part because the tax...
Resource Congress

The Inflation Reduction Act

New: The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and Environmental Defense Fund are announcing the launch of an additional resource on the Inflation Reduction Act Tracker website: the IRA litigation case ...
Model Law States and State Governments

LPDD Model Grant: Conservation Easement with Declaration of Covenants

This Model Grant of Conservation Easement and Declaration of Covenants was developed by the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association, and adapted by our team to enhance terms that promote biologic carbon s...
Example States and State Governments

New Mexico’s Conservation Executive Order (2021)

In August, New Mexico’s Governor signed an executive order that aims to set aside 30 percent of the state’s lands and waters by 2030 for conservation and another 20 percent for climate stabilization. ...
Resource Executive Branch

Report, An Introduction to Conservation Easements in the United States: A Simple Concept and Complicated Mosaic of Law

Cheever and McLaughlin’s 2015 article surveys the complex body of state and federal law that shapes the creation, funding, tax treatment, enforcement, modification, and termination of conservation eas...
Example States and State Governments

California’s Forest Legacy Program

Under California’s forest legacy program, CAL FIRE purchases or accepts donations of conservation easements or fee title of productive forest lands to encourage their long-term conservation. The prima...
Example Executive Branch

Forest Legacy Program

The Forest Legacy Program, a voluntary federal program in partnership with states, which encourages and supports conservation easements and the acquisition of partial interests in privately owned fore...
Example States and State Governments

North Carolina Executive Order on Conservation and Reforestation

In February 2024, North Carolina’s governor signed an Executive Order that sets statewide targets for governments and private land-protection groups by 2040 to both “permanently conserve” 1 million ac...
Resource Executive Branch

National Conservation Easement Database

The NCED contains records for more than 130,000 conservation easements encumbering more than 24 million acres of land.