Lauren Goodman photographs a forest with a tablet. — Easement monitoring Using a tablet and mapping applications, conservation staff take management notes at easement sites. © Sydney Bezanson/TNC

Monitoring Conservation Easements

Easements are a hallmark of TNC's work across North Carolina.

February 18, 2021

By Sydney Bezanson, Former Content Manager

Key Takeaway

In North Carolina, conservation easements are among The Nature Conservancy’s most powerful tools for land protection. Easements are agreements with landowners that restrict certain uses, and grant organizations like TNC certain management rights to private lands.

On a misty day in early December, Conservation Coordinator Lauren Goodman prepares for a day of easement monitoring. At this particular property in Catawba County, a 40-year-old stand of Virginia pine needs to be removed. Lauren pulls up a map of the property on a tablet that marks the location of the trees.

It is a trek through the forest to reach the stand. Along the way, I notice a small heart-shaped plant. Its green color is hard to miss against a floor of leaf litter. “That’s called little heartleaf,” Lauren says, “we look for that, too. So I’ll mark it on the map when we find a few plants together.”

A plant with green heart-shaped leaves sits in a backdrop of leaf litter. — **Little heartleaf** Little heartleaf (Hexastylis minor) is a native perennial flower and one of the plants TNC monitors at a conservation easement in Catawba County, North Carolina. © Sydney Bezanson/TNC

How Does a Property Get Protected by a Conservation Easement?

For properties being considered as potential easements, there are certain qualifications to meet. A landowner comes forward with the intention of putting an easement on their land. Then, someone visits the property to do an assessment to see if there is any ecological value. The likelihood for development around the area is also a factor in determining eligibility.

If the property meets these requirements, the landowner receives certain benefits. Conservation easements have tax incentives. If there is not ecological value, the landowner still has the option to donate the property, which TNC can use as trade lands for acquiring other tracts of value.

Lauren Goodman stands by a forest tract holding a tablet. — **Lauren Goodman** Lauren joined TNC in North Carolina in April 2020. As the Durham-based Conservation Coordinator, she monitors easement and fee land properties in the piedmont and foothills and operates as the infrared drone pilot on staff. © Sydney Bezanson/TNC

Pine forest with fallen trees. — **Fallen Virginia pine stand** When a property is accepted as an easement, conservation staff work with the landowner to develop a management plan for the site, which may involve removing unwanted species. © Sydney Bezanson/TNC

Managing and Monitoring Easements

When Lauren and I reach the pine stand, we notice several downed trees from a recent storm. “The trees don’t really belong in this area. They can be replaced with a better species.” Lauren notes. As part of the forest plan, this section is designated for removal. At the end of our visit, we meet briefly with the landowner to discuss management of the property.

TNC holds 66 conservation easements in North Carolina, and over 29,335 acres of easement property is monitored by our staff. Landowners are crucial partners to achieve landscape-scale protection. And as development presents new challenges for conservation, easements continue to be an important tool for conservation practitioners across the state.

Notable Conservation Easements

**Broadwell Easement** In North Carolina's southeast coastal plain, TNC's Broadwell Conservation Easement is the site of wetlands restoration. © Margaret Fields/TNC

**Controlled burning** Conducting regular controlled burns is one of the management priorities for Studenmund Conservation Easement in North Carolina. © Mark O'Leary

**Doug Smith Easement** The Doug Smith easement, located along Lake Waccamaw in southeastern North Carolina, is just one of many conservation easements TNC manages across the state. © Margaret Fields/TNC

**Rainbow Springs Easement** TNC helps to manage conservation easements in the Southern Blue Ridge, including at Rainbow Springs in Macon County, NC. © Margaret Fields/TNC

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Key Takeaway