A landowner voluntarily agrees to sell or donate certain rights associated with his or her property – often the right to subdivide or develop – and a private organization or public agency agrees to hold the right to enforce the landowner's promise not to exercise those rights.
Conservation easements can potentially provide tax benefits to land owners. The conservation easement “runs with the land”, meaning it is applicable to both present and future owners of the land.
Conservation easements are frequently used to maintain conservation objectives such as greenbelts, wildlife habitats, or public parks.