A conservation easement is a legally recorded agreement between a woodland owner and a land trust or government agency that permanently restricts certain land uses to protect its conservation values. The agreement allows owners to continue to own and manage their property and to sell it or pass it on to their heirs. Conservation easements are developed for a variety of reasons, with the primary one meant to restrict development while the woodland owner retains ownership. Another way to visualize a conservation easement is to imagine owning land as a deck of cards with each one representing a right to …