While Natural Asset Corporations were kept off the NY Stock Exchange, the idea that farmers can be paid to relinquish certain land rights in perpetuity persists... with potential dire consequences

Tennessee's legislature will vote on whether to provide public funds to NGOs like the Nature Conservancy to gain rights to private lands

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED

https://americanstewards.us/issues/conservation-easements/13-key-points-ce/

https://nationalcenter.org/ncppr/2008/05/01/conservation-easements-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-by-dana-joel-gattuso/

Background on Conservation Easements

A conservation easement¹ is a legally-binding agreement between a property owner and a nonprofit organization – typically a land trust – or a government agency² that restricts development on the land covered by the easement, usually in exchange for tax benefits for the property owner.³ The property owner who donates or sells the easement – called the “grantor” – retains partial ownership rights over the land but relinquishes rights to use the property for development.⁴ The organization to receive or buy the easement – called the grantee – holds interest in the property and enforces the restrictions.

Property owners typically are motivated to place their land in a conservation easement by deductions from federal and state taxes, by a desire to shield their property from development,⁵ or by the threat of government land-acquisition or land-use regulations.⁶ To receive tax benefits, landowners must agree to allow the land to be used for one of the following: outdoor recreation for the general public; protection of animals, plants or ecosystems; preservation of open spaces – for either farming, forestry, or ranching⁷ – or for scenic enjoyment for the general public; or the preservation of historic land or structures.⁸

They also must donate the easement to a government agency or a “qualified” nonprofit organization, defined as a charitable organization “that receives a substantial portion of [its] support from the public and government entities.”⁹And they must agree that the easement will be held in perpetuity, meaning all future landowners of the easement are bound by the terms of the deed. The intended purpose of the easement is to preserve the land for the benefit of the general public.¹⁰

But in fact, land uses can be restricted by the “nonprofit organization” or other owner of the easement, reducing the farmer’s income and reducing the value of the land… resulting in its sale or transfer. Leading to land consolidation (benefiting large landowners) or leading to massive removal of farmland from productive uses to instead be “rewarded.” The rewinding concept is part of Agenda 2030 and the sustainable development goals, with a plan to set aside 30% of land for conservation purposes by 2030.