Overview

Related Information

What is a land trust?

What is a Conservation Easement?

Steps to a Conservation Easement

Criteria for Property Evaluation

Each time the Southeast Alaska Land Trust accepts a conservation easement on a property, we accept the commitment to be the steward of that land in perpetuity. Our focus shifts from acquiring protection of the land, to maintaining or enhancing the conservation values. This subsequent responsibility establishes some of our most important work as a Land Trust. The goal of the Southeast Alaska Land Trust stewardship program is to work cooperatively with landowners to maintain or enhance the natural values of their land and to ensure that the terms of a conservation easement are followed.

Before the easement is accepted, the Southeast Alaska Land Trust evaluates and records the conservation values of the property in a baseline document. (See Southeast Alaska Land Trust Criteria for Property Evaluation). Permissible and prohibited land uses, and stewardship responsibilities and obligations are spelled out in the conservation easement according to our stewardship guidelines.

Our stewardship policy includes:

• routine monitoring,
• preventative measures, and
• compliance enforcement.
  

Proper stewardship requires that we monitor each property at least once a year to insure compliance with conservation easement terms. Landowners receive monitoring reports and are properly informed of on-going maintenance responsibilities. For each property a separate stewardship donation is required to ensure adequate funding of these perpetual stewardship activities.

Special places require repeated attention and care. At Southeast Alaska Land Trust, through solid partnerships and sound stewardship practices, we insure that these vital natural areas remain in place.