It's a binding between a landowner and a conservation group. It's called a conservation easement, and it offers a way to keep land for farming. Jon Weddle, Lubbock Natural Resources Conservation Service Program Manager, said the agreements are completely optional.
"The Wetland Reserve Program and the Grassland Reserve Program are strictly voluntary," Weddle said.
The legal contract offers bountiful benefits to nature.
"We don't have the wetlands that we used to have, a lot of the farmers are taking the opportunity to restore some of these playa lakes. The grassland, they can protect for themselves, the resource, or for future generations," Weddle said.
This type of agreement ensures the landowner maintains ownership while the land trust, an organization that works to preserve natural resources, is responsible for seeing that the land isn't developed for anything other than the landowner's retained purposes, like agricultural production.
"They can get some protection through what they've spent on restoration for any of these range lands or playa lakes. There's some tax benefit to it," Weddle said.
That's right, the landowner profits from substantial federal income tax deductions. Weddle said the first step to contracting a conservation easement is paying a visit to the NRCS.
"What they need to do is come to our county offices and talk to the NRCS district conservationist, and someone on staff will develop a conservation plan," Weddle said.
Conservation easements remain in effect even if the land is later sold, giving assurance that the land will be used as the owner had intended.
