Conservation easements and property changes
Please give SAHC notice when you make plans that might affect your property.
Since conservation easements last forever, there will inevitably be changes in the status of ownership of your land over time. Knowing about such changes in advance if possible is very important to SAHC as the easement holder. Our goal is to help avoid inadvertent violations that can arise, through prior discussion of your plans with SAHC.
Before you sign…
If you are considering signing any kind of document that might affect the ownership status of all or part of your conservation easement property please notify SAHC prior to signing. Examples of such activities include the following, for which conservation easements typically require notice to the land trust holding the easement:
- Change in ownership of all or part of the property
- Transfer of property title to an LLC, trust, or corporation
- Name change of the LLC or other entity owning the property
- Transfer of any interest in the property to another entity
- Granting of a right-of-way or easement across the property
- Borrowing money and securing the loan with all or part of the property, through a mortgage, deed of trust or other kind of lien
Activities on the land
Some activities on your land or exercise of your reserved rights require prior approval by SAHC before you undertake them. Depending on your easement, the types of activities that commonly require landowners to get prior approval or notify SAHC include:
- Construction or replacement of new structures or additions to old structures
- Construction of new roads or widening/expansion of old roads
- Installation of a new utilities system
- Construction of bridges
- Forest management activities including timbering, thinning, controlled burning
Conservation easements vary in their terms, so please be sure to consult your easement for details. If you are unsure if an activity requires prior notification or approval from SAHC, just give us a call. Our stewardship staff is happy to help answer questions regarding your conservation easement. We are committed to working with you to ensure that any proposed activity is consistent with the conservation purposes and certain terms and conditions of your easement.
