5.23.12 Press Release
Even with a 'monsoon storm' an hour before the start, the Moonshine & Mountains fundraiser in Asheville was a lovely event! Troy & Sons created the ultimate cozy & inviting atmosphere. Read More

5.5.12 Press Release
The Southeast Regional Land Conservancy (https://serlc.org/) is celebrating its 10th anniversary of protecting nature around the southeastern United States. Read More

4.2.12 Press Release
Situated in the inner Coastal Plain, the Sage Valley easements are within the northern edge of the Fall-line Sandhills. This geologic formation is quite limited and supports very unique habitats. The cumulative easements now protect three thousand nine hundred sixty-three (3963) acres. Read More

3.2.12 Press Release
In 2011, two more ‘puzzle pieces’ were added to the conservation matrix at Whisper Mountain. Sitting high in the mountains on the Buncombe-Madison county line, it is an ecologically oriented development. SERLC and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy have been teaming together to conserve acreage in the location. Read More

2.5.12 Press Release
A new easement will protect land along the Enoree River in the rolling pastoral land of the South Carolina Piedmont. Read More

2.1.12 Press Release
In the Georgia piedmont, three large tracts in proximity to each other were added, creating a total of 2611 protected acres. The easements include a variety of habitats such as Bottomland hardwood forests, pine plantations, Mixed mesic hardwood forests, Oak-hickory forests, cane breaks, Levee and Alluvial forests, open fields, wetlands, a large river, and creeks.
Read More

5.1.11 Press Release
The Southeast Regional Land Conservancy now protects a cumulative acreage of twelve thousand eight hundred ninety-eight (12,898) acres in a total of thirty-five projects (as of the end of 2011). Of the projects, six are in Alabama, fourteen in Georgia, eleven in North Carolina, three in South Carolina, and one in Tennessee. The projects range from the mountains to the coast. Read More

2.2.11 Press Release
This past year the Southeast Regional Land Conservancy (https://serlc.org/) added a key jewel to its crown of protected land in the high mountains of the Southern Appalachians. Undisturbed forest habitat with so many Old Growth attributes is quite rare and restricted in our region due to the intensity of logging throughout history. In 2010 a tract with such grand forests was added to the protected lands within The Preserve at Little Pine in Madison County. Read More

1.29.11 Press Release
In 2010 the Southeast Regional Land Conservancy (https://serlc.org/) placed an easement protecting one thousand one hundred fifty-one (1,151) acres between Aiken, SC, and Augusta, GA. It is situated along in the northern edge of the Fall-line Sandhills which divide the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions. Read More

2010 SERLC Summary
The Southeast Regional Land Conservancy protects a cumulative acreage of seven thousand nine hundred thirty-three (7,933) acres in a total of thirty-one projects. Of the projects, six are in Alabama, eleven in Georgia, eleven in North Carolina, two in South Carolina, and one in Tennessee. In 2010 we accepted a large new project in the South Carolina sandhills and added important habitat area to an existing easement in the North Carolina mountains. The one thousand three hundred and two (1,302) acres were placed under easement in 2010. Although projects range widely in sizes, the project size would average at 256 acres per project. Read More

3.29.10 Whisper Mountain
 When Bob and Meredith Stroud bought their twenty mountainside acres in WNC, they gave themselves a piece of heaven. When they placed a conservation easement on the land they gave a gift to the world. They became a part of protecting global biodiversity for everyone…forever.  They chose land in Whisper Mountain, located on the Buncombe and Madison County lines northwest of Asheville. Read More

1.27.10 Boone Creek
 New for 2009 is the Boone Creek conservation easement. It is a 233-acre site located between the Okeefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the St. Mary’s River in the Georgia coastal plain. The land cover is composed of a matrix of pine plantations and wetlands, with Boone Creek flowing Read More

2.05.09 Family Pride
 Some years ago the Martin family joined with other families to protect a piece of Heaven in the North Georgia Mountains, complete with a clear rushing trout stream. In 2006 their dream of placing the land under permanent protection became a reality as they worked with Southeast Regional Land Conservancy. One of the biggest joys of land trust work can be going back each year for monitoring visits with owners who truly care about the land, as is the case each time we visit the Martins. Read More

1.31.09 New Land Protection for 2008 In 2008 the Southeast Regional Land Conservancy was pleased to double the number of acres under protection by adding four new projects totaling 3,492 acres. An additional 127 acres were also added to increase two existing projects. The projects are well-distributed across a variety of ecosystems, with one in the North Carolina Mountains, one in the Tennessee Ridge & Valley, one in the South Carolina Coastal Plain, one in the Georgia Piedmont, and one in the Georgia Coastal Plain. That brings SERLC’s total conservation land area to 6,254 acres. Read More

12.01.08 Environmental Recognition. The Preserve at Little Pine in Madison County, North Carolina has been awarded "Most Environmentally Conscious Planned Community" and "Best Preserve" by Pinnacle Living Magazine in their 2008 Annual Guide/Best of Communities editions. SERLC is proud to be a partner in the conservation effort at Little Pine, holding nine hundred sixty-four (964) acres of preservation property in conservation easements and actively supporting the community’s management in environmental consultation. Read More
 
What is a Conservation Easement?

A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency. Land uses are permanently limited in order to protect conservation values. It allows you to continue to own and use your land and to sell it or pass it on to heirs.

Easements are flexible and can be designed to meet the needs of the landowner as long as the natural resources are protected. An easement on forested land may include rights for the owner to build a house while disallowing a development. Farms generally retain the rights to keep farming. Easements are generally granted in perpetuity, though on rare occasions they can be designated for a set number of years. An easement may apply to just a portion of the property, and does not require public access.

Conservation easements are usually donated, though landowners occasionally sell an easement. If the donation is beneficial for permanently protecting conservation resources and meets other federal tax code requirements it can qualify as a tax-deductible charitable donation, offering potential for substantial income tax benefits. The amount of the donation is the difference between the land's value with the easement and its value without the easement. Placing an easement on your property may or may not result in property tax savings depending upon your location.

Also important is the fact that a conservation easement can be essential for passing land on to the next generation. By removing the land's development potential, the easement lowers its market value, which in turn lowers estate tax. Whether the easement is donated during life or by will, it can make a crucial difference in the ability of the heirs to keep the land intact.

Land Owner Rights for Conservation Easements

 

 

Can land be sold?

Yes

Can land be passed to heirs?

Yes; it may even make the process easier;

Can home lots be reserved for children?

Yes

Can farming be continued on farms?

Yes

Is the public allowed on my land?

No; not unless you choose to do so;

Can use the land as collateral for loans?

Yes

Home | About Us | What is a conservation easement? | Project Profiles | Press Releases | Photo Gallery | Faq | Contact Us

Copyright ©2007, All Rights Reserved.
Website by YDO