The Power of Conservation Easements in Land Stewardship and Restoration

Conservation easements are among the most effective tools available to ensure the longevity of open spaces, sustainable land management, and healthy wildlife populations. In a world where economic pressures like rising property taxes and land values increasingly push private landowners toward subdivision and development, easements provide a powerful alternative; they’re a way to keep working lands working while protecting their ecological integrity for future generations.

The Boone and Crockett Club has long supported the availability of perpetual conservation easements as a tool for private landowners. Examples of excellent projects abound. 

Idaho Forest Group (IFG), in partnership with Kaniksu Land Trust, recently finalized one of the largest conservation easements in this land trust’s history—protecting nearly 2,000 acres along Prichard Creek, an important tributary of the Coeur d’ Alene River. This agreement protects extensive riparian habitat (10.5 miles of the 14-mile creek) and a large swath of forested uplands. Along with completing the conservation easement that protects this area from subdivision, IFG is also investing in restoration efforts from centuries of mining degradation along this important tributary, which is notable for its native trout fishery. 

Conservation easements are also an important tool for our partners at Wildlife Mississippi, who work closely with private timberland landowners and agricultural producers in the Mississippi River Delta to conserve and restore bottomland hardwoods. In planning the future of this eco-region, producers need certainty and incentives to keep their topsoil right side up and ensure that our country’s most productive agricultural acres are producing crops, while less productive agricultural ground is used for its best and highest purpose.

Another example of the success of conservation easements is the Boone and Crockett Club’s own Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch on Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front. This region is one of North America's most ecologically significant landscapes, serving as a vital transition zone between the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. The ranch is permanently protected from development through a decades-old conservation easement with The Nature Conservancy while remaining a working cattle operation. The property serves as a living laboratory for wildlife research and land management, reinforcing the Club’s commitment to conservation education and habitat stewardship. By anchoring conservation efforts in the region, the ranch also plays a pivotal role in ensuring the economic and ecological sustainability of Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front.

Benefits of Conservation Easements 

Roughly 70 percent of the Lower 48 states is privately owned, meaning landowners' decisions have outsized impacts on the conservation and restoration of wildlife habitat. While public lands are essential to wildlife conservation in this country, private lands provide critical migration corridors, nursery grounds, and winter ranges for many species—some we hunt and many that we’ll never pursue. 

Private landowners face mounting economic pressures that can make selling to developers the most financially viable option. Conservation easements offer an alternative by compensating landowners—via cash payments or tax benefits—for maintaining their land in a largely undeveloped state while continuing traditional uses like agriculture, ranching, and forestry. These voluntary land protection agreements, often brokered through land trusts or conservation organizations, place specific restrictions on development while allowing landowners to retain ownership and management rights. 

Conservation easements are entirely voluntary and highly adaptable to meet the unique needs of buyers, sellers, and donors. Each agreement is carefully designed to align with a landowner’s objectives while ensuring the easement supports, rather than restricts, the property’s long-term sustainability. Some easements include provisions for public access, such as hunting or fishing, while others do not. Funding for these agreements comes from various sources, and due to their flexibility, no two easements are exactly alike. In some cases, easements are primarily used to secure permanent public access to adjacent lands, while in others, they focus on preserving critical habitat, such as elk wintering grounds, where public access may not align with conservation goals. Though conservation easements may not be the right choice for everyone, they serve as a valuable legal and financial tool for many landowners. 

Conservation easements provide a suite of financial benefits supporting landowners and conservation efforts. Landowners can receive payment in exchange for permanently restricting certain types of development. Federal and state programs often provide tax deductions or credits for landowners who establish conservation easements. These agreements ensure continued agricultural and forestry operations, supporting rural economies while maintaining open landscapes. In addition to economic benefits, protected lands provide critical habitat for game and non-game species, ensuring sustainable populations for hunters and conservationists. Easements also play a crucial role in restoration ecology by allowing degraded landscapes to recover through strategic land management. 
By limiting development, easements create conditions that support native vegetation regrowth, soil stabilization, and water quality improvement. These tools help restore connectivity between fragmented habitats, allowing wildlife populations to thrive and adapt to environmental changes. In many cases, landowners engaged in easements actively participate in habitat restoration efforts, from wetland rehabilitation to forest regeneration—all of which contribute to a more resilient and biodiverse landscape.

While conservation easements are a proven tool for land protection, they are not without challenges. In high-growth regions like Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, the demand for conservation easements far exceeds available funding. Some critics argue that easements place unnecessary restrictions on land use, though conservation easements are always voluntary agreements between willing buyers and sellers. Long-term monitoring and enforcement are crucial to maintaining the integrity of conservation easements, ensuring that the intended protections remain in place for generations to come.

At a time when open spaces are rapidly disappearing, conservation easements provide a forward-thinking solution that balances economic sustainability with conservation goals. These agreements empower landowners to protect their land while continuing traditional uses, ensuring a lasting legacy for future generations of wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts. Hunters and conservation advocates play a crucial role in supporting conservation easements by advocating for state and federal funding, backing legislation that strengthens these tools, and recognizing the invaluable role private lands play in landscape-scale conservation. Investing in conservation easements today safeguards the future of America’s working lands and the wildlife that depend on them.

Conservation easements are a vital tool in advancing our ongoing efforts in accomplishing our mission “to promote the conservation and management of wildlife, especially big game, and its habitat, while preserving and encouraging hunting and maintaining the highest ethical standards of fair chase and sportsmanship in North America.” We must ensure that these tools remain available for those who wish to use them and that ample resources are invested in advancing this landowner-driven approach to conservation.