Conservation Easements: How it Works

1. A landowner wishing to donate a conservation easement to DU should contact the nearest DU office.

2. When a property is determined to be of interest to DU, a biologist will conduct a site visit to assess the condition and value of the property as waterbird habitat.

3. If the property has the resources and natural values pertinent to DU's mission, the terms of the conservation easement then will be negotiated and the transaction underway.

4. A landowner should work with his/her tax advisor to determine any financial benefits they might receive. DU will request that donors of conservation easements also provide a tax-deductible cash donation to DU's endowment fund to help provide for monitoring of the easement in perpetuity. Each donated conservation easement is assessed for its overall contribution to the DU mission.

5. The non-adversarial nature of the conservation easement transaction ensures that both Ducks Unlimited / Wetlands America Trust and the landowner are satisfied with all of the easement's terms and confident that the protection of the natural resources are established in perpetuity.

More Info: Donations or Gifts of Land

For more information, please contact:
Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
National Headquarters
Jamie Brown
jbrown@ducks.org
(901) 758-3787