As we bid farewell to the holiday season, it’s a good time to take stock of the gifts we received—and the gifts we gave. Conserving our natural resources is one of the ways we can give back to our children, communities, and economy for years to come. Conservation easements are gifts that keep on giving. They keep agricultural lands working for future generations and benefit wildlife, water quality, grasslands and soil. A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a qualified organization, like a land trust, that compensates landowners for placing some restrictions on the use of a property in order to protect its natural values. Read more…