Land trusts protect land directly by buying or accepting donations of either land or conservation easements. A conservation easement (or conservation restriction) is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency that permanently limits uses of the land to protect its conservation values, including wildlife habitat. It allows the landowner to continue to own and use the land and to sell it or pass it on to heirs. Land trusts also educate the public and advocate for the need to conserve land.
