When a land trust accepts a conservation covenant or easement, it accepts a perpetual, legal responsibility to protect the conservation values described in that covenant or easement, to visit and inspect the protected property on a regular basis, and to uphold the terms of the covenant or easement. The Conservancy must provide the resources to support the following five major responsibilities of land stewardship:
Creating baseline documentation, which is a detailed report prepared prior to closing that describes the conservation values and condition of the property, and requirements for monitoring the property on an ongoing basis.
Visiting and monitoring each site on a regular basis to confirm and document, in writing, that the conserved property is being maintained according to the terms of its covenant or easement.
Communicating regularly with landowners who have signed conservation covenants or given conservation easements, including the tracking of ownership changes if the property is sold or passed from one generation to the next.
Investigating all apparent violations of the covenant or easement terms
Addressing any departure from the conservation terms when and if needed, to be sure that those terms continue to be honored.
Banner: Mount Chocorua from The Island (1935)