If land protection is to be meaningful, it must stand the test of time. When the Monadnock Conservancy accepts a conservation easement, it agrees to uphold the intent of the agreement forever. Our mission statement closes with our commitment to this responsibility: “To monitor and enforce the protection of lands in the Trust.” Once the Conservancy accepts an easement on a property we become partners, working side-by-side with the current landowner and all future owners, to ensure the long-term protection of the land.
Good land stewardship has several components: annual monitoring to make sure the land is being used according to the easement terms developed by the donor; good record keeping; maintaining positive relations with easement donors and future owners of a property; and the maintenance of funds dedicated to the enforcement of the easement should any violations occur.
The Monadnock Conservancy monitors each of its easement properties annually to assess compliance with the terms of the agreement. Staff or trained volunteers visit the property to meet with the landowner, walk the boundaries of the property, and note any significant changes. The organization keeps written records and photographs on file to document its site inspections, and communicates regularly with landowners. The monitoring program is designed to head off easement violations before they occur.
In some rare cases an individual landowner may act in clear violation of an easement’s provisions. In other cases, abutters, members of the public, or professionals such as loggers or engineers may act counter to the terms. In any of these instances, the Conservancy will do as much as possible to see that the activity is stopped and that the condition of the land is restored. If necessary, the Conservancy will seek independent arbitration and/or legal action to uphold its obligations, as guided by the terms of the easement.
Landowners who grant conservation easements know and appreciate the importance of living with their provisions for the land. When a property under easement changes ownership, the seller must inform the Conservancy. Staff will meet with the new owner to review and explain the terms of the easement. Easement stewardship becomes more important with time, to ensure that future users of the land understand and respect the original grantor’s intentions.
Recognizing the permanent fiscal obligation created by accepting easements, the Conservancy funds these stewardship expenses through revenue generated by the Easement Stewardship Endowment. In addition to the Stewardship Endowment, the Conservancy has established an Enforcement Fund that the organization will use when necessary to provide for the legal defense of an easement. The Enforcement Fund gives the Conservancy the confidence that it can uphold its commitments, now and for years to come.
Fee-Owned Conservation Land
For property the organization owns outright, the Conservancy follows a land use and management policy adopted by the Board of Trustees. The policy encourages constructive community interaction with the land, while protecting the natural, aesthetic, and cultural resources of the property. A Management Plan for the land will be based on a scientific inventory of the property’s natural resources, as well as consideration of its cultural and recreational uses. In general, management of fee-owned land will meet or exceed the use limitations in our standard conservation easement, and the land will be open to the public for uses that do not threaten the conservation value of the land. More information on the land use policy is available from the Conservancy staff.
