It's a binding between a landowner and a conservation organization. It's called a Conservation Easement and it offers a way to keep land for farming.
Jon Weddle, Program Manager for the Lubbock National Resource Conservation Service, said Conservation Easements are completely optional. 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," Weddle said. "The grassland, they can protect for themselves, the resource or for future generations."
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 the land isn't developed for anything other than the landowner's retained purposes, like agriculture production.
"They can get some protection through what they've spent on restoration for any of these range lands or playa lakes," Weddle said. "There's some tax benefit to it."
And the landowner profits as well, from substantial federal income tax deductions. Weddle explained how landowners can get involved.
"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."
Conservation Easements remain in effect, even if the land is later sold. Which gives assurance that the land will be used as the owner had intended.
