I have been approached by several folks in the past weeks wishing to enlist my guidance in planning and perhaps the eventuality of conservation easements grant on their land. . More on that in another upcoming blog.  It occurred to me, however that the participants in, and users of this great private land conservation tool fall generally into four categories.

There are those who are so wealthy as to view the economic/tax benefits as incidental and whose motivation is strictly the personal empowerment and pure philanthropy of the gift back to the planet in perpetuity.  Others understand the conservation value, and delight in the preservation, but might not be so prone to strip their properties of meaningful development and other rights without the economic incentive of lessened tax at the federal level through deductions, and--depending on the state--at the state level through tax credits.

Generational ranchers, caught in the squeeze of rising operational costs, estate considerations, or other economic quandaries (most not of their own doing) who are proud of the preservation, but need to sell their easements to the various entities who normally act as purchasers, to continue to own and keep viable their ranching operations. 

And there are those ranchers who simply have set their jaw, don't really need the economic benefit, or don't care much about it, that have decided that they will not succumb their land to the eyesore of tasteless McMansion subdivisions.

My conclusion is kudos to all of the above. 

Whether it is personal empowerment, or economic need, a wish to see as little change as possible, or an appreciation of the donation motivated in whole or part by tax benefits, the end result is conservation. 

And that benefits us all.