No contribution is as enduring or as irreplaceable as open land.  Through a gift or bargain sale, the Land Trust is committed to protecting the land you love in perpetuity as open space.

Lyme Land Trust will work with you to develop a plan that will protect  the conservation values you cherish for the land.  Depending on your goals and vision for the future of the property, the Land Trust may agree to add trails, maintain open fields or simply allow nature to take its course without human intervention.

Another popular alternative is to donate a conservation easement on the property. With an easement (or “conservation restriction”) you continue to own the property but give up certain rights in order to protect its conservation values.  An easement is a legal agreement between you, the landowner, and Lyme Land Trust.  You may sell the land or pass it on to your heirs, but LLT continues to hold the easement over the property to protect the conservation values articulated in the easement.  An agreement can be customized to meet your goals for the property; for instance, should you want to retain the right to construct a building in the future, easements can often be written to accommodate that.  Donating an easement may also qualify you for tax benefits.

What Lyme will look like a hundred years from now is being decided by landowners like you.  Giving land or a conservation easement to the Land Trust is a rewarding way to make a difference by protecting the land you love.  It is a process that requires a serious dialogue between you and your legal counsel and financial advisor.

You may find the following publication an informative first step to learn about the process of protecting your land: Your Land, Your Legacy.

If you are interested in exploring the options for protecting your land please contact us at Kristina.White@lymelandtrust.org.