Conservation Options for Private Landowners

You and your family have kept your land free from inappropriate development for years. Whether a working farm, forest land, shoreline, or other natural area, you would like to ensure that it remains as it is for your children and for future generations.

The good news is that you can protect your land. Working with a land trust (a private, nonprofit conservation organization, such as the Lake George Land Conservancy) or a conservation agency within government (such as the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation), there are many ways you can safeguard land of conservation, historic, scenic, or other natural value--but only if you make plans for your land’s preservation.

Why must you take action, when you simply want to keep your land as it is? State and federal estate taxes are one reason. Families are sometimes forced to sell all or part of family lands in order to pay such taxes, which together can be as high as 50% of the estate’s value. And, of course, future owners may be compelled by ever-increasing property values - or simply by lack of appreciation for the land - to sell it for development.

There are many ways you can protect your land that can make good financial sense for you and your family. Click on the links at right for more information about each conservation technique.