This spring Eastern Sierra Land Trust is excited to announce a new program called Eastern Sierra Conservation Real Estate. We have been hard at work developing a new web page, networking with local real estate agents, and developing informational materials that go along with this program. Known as a ‘Conservation Buyer’ program, these types of collaborations are going on across the country helping land trusts achieve our goals of permanent land preservation on private lands, while benefiting conservation minded buyers as well.

What is a Conservation Buyer?
A conservation buyer is a real estate buyer who is interested in purchasing land possessing exceptional scenic, agricultural, natural, recreational, historical, and watershed values and working with a land trust to protect these values with a conservation easement.

What are the advantages of participating as an interested buyer?
Beyond the obvious benefit and satisfaction of knowing that your lands will be preserved forever, a donated conservation easement can qualify landowners for significant tax benefits that can be extended over a number of years. As a buyer of land already protected by an easement you experience the benefit of a reduced sale price due to the restricted development potential

How is Eastern Sierra Land Trust (ESLT) involved?
As the local land trust for the Eastern Sierra region we can achieve our land preservation goals by connecting interested buyers with conservation-worthy private lands. ESLT maintains a database of interested buyers, informing this group of available properties in our region that meet our criteria as priority projects for conservation. We work closely with agents and sellers to keep our property inventory up to date. When a match is made between a buyer and a property, we work with the parties involved to customize and record a conservation agreement that suits their desires for the future of their land.

How do I join the interested buyers database?
If you would like more information about this program, or would like to join our growing database of interested buyers, please contact me: aaron [at] eslt.org

We will be unveiling the new web site and more information about the program in the next month, so keep your eyes out for an announcement in our e-news (if you haven’t already, head over and sign up) and on our web site.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Aaron