There is one other kind of agreement to mention here. Conservation easements are voluntary agreements signed by landowners that enable them to protect their land for conservation in perpetuity, often in return for tax benefits. In other words, easements provide landowners with incentives to help protect endangered species and their habitats. Once the agreement is signed and recorded with the county register of deeds, it applies to all future owners of that land—they will be unable to develop it for real estate, commercial, or industrial use. And if the land is donated specifically for conservation and has significant conservation value—such as forests, wetlands, and endangered species habitats—it may also provide significant financial benefits such as estate and property tax relief. In addition, the landowners have the benefit of knowing they have contributed to the public good by preserving the natural world for future generations.
The Nature Conservancy, which has been working with conservation easements since 1961, states, on its website, that they are the most powerful, effective tools available for permanent conservation of private lands. The use of conservation easements has successfully protected millions of acres of wildlife habitat and open spaces since then. The largest of these parcels was 201,560 million acres in New Mexico.
Footnote: An Inspirational Map
In fact, in all countries where there is an endangered species act that is, at least to some extent, enforced, there are a surprising number of occasions when developers and big business lose out to a whole variety of insects, amphibians, birds, mammals, and plants. And as a result of Safe Harbor agreements and conservation easements, large areas of habitat are being preserved with the full cooperation of landowners and federal agencies. If we made a map of all the areas that remain pristine and beautiful today because of the presence of an endangered species, it would be a very inspiring map. Maybe that is a project for some enthusiastic group of students to undertake. Of course, the failures would have to be plotted also—and this might lead to even greater determination among those whose mission is to protect the unique habitats of Planet Earth.
