Conservation easements
Protecting California land, forever.
Conservation easements are at the heart of what we do at GSLC — a permanent, voluntary way to protect what makes land special while keeping it privately owned.
The basics
What is a conservation easement?
A conservation easement is a legal agreement that permanently protects a property’s natural, agricultural, and scenic values while keeping the land privately owned. The landowner retains full ownership and the right to work the land, with the assurance that what makes it special is preserved indefinitely.
Two paths to protection
However it starts, the protection is permanent.
Conservation easements can begin in two ways: with a landowner who wants to protect their personal property, or with a project that must offset its impacts. In both cases the result is the same: preserved land that benefits us all.
Donated by landowners
For landowners
- Who starts it
- A landowner, voluntarily
- Why
- Protect family land and legacy; keep it working
- Funding
- Stewardship funding is arranged as part of each project
- Tax
- May bring income, estate & property tax benefits
Established for mitigation
For agencies & developers
- Who starts it
- A developer or agency, when a project requires it
- Why
- Compensatory mitigation for project impacts (CEQA, ESA, CDFW, Clean Water Act)
- Funding
- Project-funded long-term stewardship, typically an endowment (Cal. Gov. Code §65965 et seq.)
- Tax
- Not a deduction — a regulatory obligation
What they share
However land comes to us, we protect it the same way.
Whether an easement is donated or established for mitigation, the promise behind it is identical.
- Permanent and legally binding on all future owners
- Upheld by a nationally accredited land trust
- Backed by long-term stewardship funding
- Monitored every year — forever
Land to protect, or a project to offset?
Let’s find the right path.
Download the intake form that fits, fill it out, and email it to info@gslc.org. Not sure which applies? Contact us and we’ll point you in the right direction.