Question

what is conservtion of land

Answer 1

Land conservation is the process of protecting natural land and returning developed land to its natural state. As humans develop and harm different ecosystems, a variety of techniques are needed to try to save the environments and protect the remaining land.

Answer 2

The conservation of land is an important part of our public and private sectors’ efforts to ensure that our natural world remains beautiful, beneficial and accessible to all of its inhabitants, human and otherwise.

“Land conservation” is the over-arching theme for enlightened landowners and the many government programs and mission-driven nonprofits that work tirelessly to preserve and create parks and open space for us, and natural habitats for wildlife. 

Conservation is not about Environmental Protection Agency regulations that protect natural resources from our abusive behavior. It is about the acquisition and protection of land for the benefit and enjoyment of all living things, without exception.

Every discussion about a potential land conservation project requires focus on funding. The key financial concerns are the cost of purchase, development and/or restoration (depending on proposed use), maintenance and management. 

There are typically three kinds of funding sources for conservation projects, namely (1) tax dollars used by the federal, state and local governments, which are channeled programmatically through agencies like the Department of Interior (i.e., National Park Service), Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and local departments of parks and recreation; (2) private fundraising by national nonprofits like the Nature Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land, and local and regional nonprofits like the Essex County Greenbelt, the Trustees of Reservations, and the Essex National Heritage Commission; (3) landowners who want to dispose of their property but maintain its character in perpetuity and/or realize significant conservation-related tax benefits. These tax benefits can be achieved by either donating their property to a conservation organization or granting a conservation restriction to organizations capable of environmental stewardship. Our governments play a pivotal role in this last example by legislating the tax benefits that so incentivize such landowners.

In this era of fiscal conservatism, it is fair to question the extent to which our tax dollars should be used to fund the government programs that pay for public lands that must be conserved and managed. Do we really need more parks for hiking, biking, camping and bird watching? The answer is a loud yes! Just walk through Maudslay State Park; visit a historic lighthouse; enjoy a lazy afternoon on our national seashore beaches; hike in the White Mountains, or spend a few days exploring Yellowstone, Yosemite or any of our other spectacular National Parks. Usually, the only price we pay to experience these great places are nominal parking and/or entrance fees, which fund the salaries and work of those people who protect and maintain them.