S O U N D O F F
One of my biggest issues with conservations easements? They are generally unplanned/poorly planned. They are PRIVATE agreements with little or no public input. Anecdotally, many easement donors seem to be motivated by the ability to circumvent public planning processes. My forthcoming law review article, “Zoning for Conservation Easements”, reviews the handful of enabling statutes that link conservation easements to land use planning (8 states) and argues that conservation easements should be treated like any other land use in comprehensive plans and zoning ordinances. Making conservation easement processes more transparent, and involving more public participation would make conservation easements “better”, in my opinion.
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