Landowner Benefits
Landowners have a deep connection to their land and know the benefits conserved properties provide the larger community: clean air and water, fresh food, wildlife habitat, places to get out and enjoy the natural world, and sheer scenic beauty. Many landowners are safeguarding the places they love — productive farms and ranches, forests, wetlands, coastlines — for their family and for future generations.
When Ag + Open Space works with a willing landowner to acquire a conservation easement, landowner benefits vary from project to project, but often include:
Continued use and enjoyment of the land
Landowners often cite their conservation easements as a key reason they have been able to continue to own and care for their land. From working farms to expansive natural landscapes, conservation easements support landowners as stewards of invaluable agricultural and natural resources.
Invaluable public benefit
By conserving your land, you are making a huge investment in Sonoma County’s vision of a future where we all thrive. By preserving land today, we protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat.
Receiving a one-time payment
The maximum payment amount is based on the difference in appraised value of the land with and without the conservation easement. It is up to the landowner to use this income as they see fit, but often these funds are reinvested into the property, which has helped many farmers and ranchers stay in business and kept many of our most important natural areas, such as forests and waterways, healthy and thriving.
Possible reduction in property taxes
By removing the land’s development potential, a conservation easement typically lowers the property’s market value, which can potentially lower estate and property taxes. We recommend landowners seek professional legal and tax advice when considering conservation options, especially when it comes to assessing possible tax implications.
Possible charitable tax deduction
Landowners may choose to donate or sell the conservation easement at a discount of the appraised value, which may allow them to claim a charitable tax deduction.
Planning for the future
Conservation easements run with the land forever, and our stewardship of the easement is perpetual This means that even when the land is sold or passed on to heirs, our commitment to stewarding the easement to conserve the land’s conservation values remains.