Preserving your land starts with your vision for its future.

Here at RVC, we understand that your wish to preserve your land is a very personal decision, guided by the love of your land and your financial goals. We can help you understand your conservation options and explore strategies to carry out your vision. Options can include…

Selling Your Land

When a landowner wishes to sell a property outright, and that property meets our conservation goals, we will consider buying it alone or with partners. Purchase offers are made on the basis of appraisals that establish the fair market value of the land and on our ability to raise money for the purchase. Depending on a landowner’s financial situation, there may be ways to negotiate a conservation sale to generate significant tax advantages because we are a qualified conservation entity. 

Donating Your Land

For landowners who wish to preserve their land in its natural state as a personal legacy, RVC often accepts donations of land. This can be land that advances our conservation goals, or land that can be used to raise capital to buy highly important open space. Landowners may also choose to donate land through a will, to demonstrate a desire to see their land remain forever wild. A landowner who donates land may qualify for substantial tax benefits, including avoiding capital gains taxes that would result from a sale.

Placing a Conservation Easement on Your Land

In cases where a landowner wants to retain ownership, but is willing to place a permanent restriction on development, we may be able to assist in identifying a way to accomplish this through a conservation easement. Easements are tailored to meet a landowner’s needs, allowing for their continued residential or recreational use and some types of land management, such as limited forestry. The landowner retains the right to sell, lease, or transfer the property, but the conservation easement runs with the land — that is, the original owner and all subsequent owners are bound by its restrictions. A donation of a conservation easement or sale at below market value may qualify the landowner for tax benefits under certain conditions. 

Placing a Farmland Preservation Easement on Your Land

RVC can help farmland owners permanently protect their land. Although a more limited part of our conservation activity, we are open to discussing preservation of your farmland or will connect you with other groups who might have an interest. Tax benefits described above in connection with conservation easements can apply to farmland easements as well. 

For more information about options for preserving your property, please reach out to George Schaberg, Chair of the RVC Land Protection Committee and Board Vice President. George can be reached at george@ridgeandvalleyconservancy.org.